French President Emmanuel Macron

By Our Reporter

French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped by a man in a crowd during a walkabout session in southeast France.

In a trending video circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in white shirt long sleeves, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers who were behind a metal barrier.

The French President reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-shirt, with glasses and a face mask.

The man could be heard shouting out “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and then he delivered a slap to Mr Macron’s face.

Security entourage quickly intervened to pull the man to the ground and move the President away from him.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex described the incident as “an affront to democracy.”

However, two persons have been arrested after the assault on the president during his visit to the Drome region.

The identity of the man who slapped Mr Macron, and his motives, were unclear.

Other words the man shouted during the incident, “Montjoie Saint Denis,” was the battle cry of the French armies when the country was still a monarchy.