Emmanuel Macron.Photo: Stephane AUDRAS-POOL/SIPA/Shutterstock
At that point, the man threw an egg at the French president while shouting, “Vive la revolution!”
The egg bounced off the back of Macron’s shoulder without cracking before members of his security team shielded him from any further incidents.
Reporters on the scenewrote that, prior to the egg being thrown, Macron had told his security team of the shouting protester: “If he has something to tell me, then he can come.”
According to the Associated Press, the man who threw the egg has since been identified as a 19-year-old student and wasplaced in psychiatric treatmentafter being detained.
Viral video quickly spread online of that incident, which showed security rushing the president away and subduing the instigator.
“A man indeed tried to hit the president. We have no further comment at that stage,” a spokesperson for Macron told reporters then,accordingto Bloomberg. “The discussions with the crowd and the hand shaking went on. The trip goes on.”
According toReuters, the attacker could be heard shouting “Down with Macronia” during the incident as well as “Montjoie Saint Denis,” a revolution battle cry against France’s monarchy during the 18th century.
Macron, who will be up for reelection in 2022, has seen his approval ratings strengthen in recent months,The Guardianreports, due largely to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
France’s relationship with the U.S. has been in the headlines of late, due to a a deal worth billions of dollars to provide submarines to Australia.
France had been working for years on a plan to sell 12 conventional submarines to Australia through a French shipbuilder,CNN reports. Those plans were scuttled just one day after the U.S., the U.K. and Australia announced a trilateral deal — in a partnership dubbed AUKUS — to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines instead.
Calling the move “a stab in the back,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was “angry and bitter” about the AUKUS deal, according to CNN.
“The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefited from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners. President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard,” the White House said of the conversation.
source: people.com
