France: Man who slapped Macron jailed for 18 months

Paris, France

The man who slapped the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has been sentenced to an 18-month jail term in a court hearing on Thursday.

On June 8, French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by a man during his trip to southeast France.

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The 43-year-old leader was touring the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region when he approached the barrier to engage and shake hands with the people who had lined up to meet their President.

As Macron approached the barrier to shake hands with a spectator, a man dressed in a green t-shirt, glasses and face mask slapped the President across his face.

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The attacker was also heard yelling 'A Bas La Macronie' (Down with Macron) and 'Montjoie Saint Denis' (a battle cry of the French armies when the country was still a monarchy) before slapping the leader.

He was identified as Damien Tarel, a 28-year-old medieval history enthusiast, was pinned down by Macron’s security officers immediately after the attack and was in custody since the assault.

The prosecutor called this attack to be "an act of deliberate violence" and "absolutely unacceptable". Tarel was given an 18-month jail term, 14 of which were suspended.