A man on Tuesday slapped President Emmanuel Macron in the face during the president’s official visit to the south-east of France.
Reuters reported that the man and another person have been arrested following the incident.
A video circulating on social media shows Macron reaching out his hand to greet a man in a small crowd of onlookers standing behind a metal barrier as the president visited a professional training college for the hospitality industry.
The man, who was dressed in a khaki T-shirt, then shouted “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and slapped Macron on the left side of his face.
He also shouted “Montjoie Saint Denis”, the battle cry of the French army when the country was still a monarchy.
The man was tackled and then taken away by two of Macron’s security detail.
Prime Minister Jean Castex has since condemned the incident, saying democracy can never be about violence or verbal aggression.
“I call for a republican awakening, we are all concerned, the foundations of our democracy are at stake,” he told parliament.
