A member of the public slapped French President Emmanuel Macron during a walkabout in Southern France.

A man assaulted President Macron during an official visit to a hotel school on June 10. The attacker was sentenced to four months in jail.

The French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped during a public visit to a hotel school in June. The incident was caught on camera. During the walkabout, a man in the crowd dressed in a khaki T-shirt shouted the obscure medieval battle cry "montjoie and Saint-Denis" and "down with Macronism" before hitting the President on the left side of his face. After a brief period, Macron returned to the barrier and resumed shaking hands with the public.

The assailant, Damien Tarel, who is thought to be a medieval combat enthusiast, told the courts that he had acted on impulse. The judge rejected this, stating that Tarel had committed an act of violence. The courts had heard that the man subscribed to far-right political movements, according to the BBC.

The incident was condemned across the country. President Macron said that while the incident should not be trivialized, it should be kept in proportion. Macron has been touring France extensively as the country begins to ease COVID-19 lockdown measures.

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Reuters

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BBC News

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