<p>A man in a crowd of onlookers slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face when he was on a walkabout in southern France on Tuesday, video showed.</p>.<p>Macron's security entourage pulled the man to the ground and moved Macron away. Two people were arrested, BFM TV and RMC radio reported.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Jean Castex said the attack was an affront to democracy.</p>.<p>Macron was on a visit to the Drome region in southeastern France, where he met restaurateurs and students to talk about returning to a normal life after the COVID-19 epidemic.</p>.<p>In a video circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in shirt sleeves, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers standing behind a metal barrier.</p>.<p>He reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-shirt, with glasses and a face mask.</p>.<p>The man could be heard shouting out "Down with Macronia" ("A Bas La Macronie") and then he slapped Macron in the face.</p>.<p>The man could also be heard shouting "Montjoie Saint Denis", the battle cry of the French army when the country was still a monarchy.</p>.<p>Two of Macron's security detail tackled the man in the green T-shirt, while another ushered Macron away. Macron remained in the vicinity of the crowd for a brief moment, gesturing to someone on the other side of the barriers before his security agents moved him away.</p>.<p>Macron played down the incident, blaming "ultra-violent" individuals.</p>.<p>"I am doing fine. We must put this incident, which I think is an isolated event, into perspective," he told the Dauphine Libere newspaper in an interview after the incident in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region.</p>.<p>But he added: "Let's not let isolated events, ultra-violent individuals... take hold of the public debate: they do not merit it."</p>.<p>The Elysee Palace said there had been an attempt to strike Macron, but declined further comment.</p>.<p>In 2016, Macron, who was economy minister at the time, was pelted with eggs by hard-left trade unionists during a strike against labour reforms. Macron described that incident as "par for the course" and said it would not curb his determination.</p>.<p>Two years later, anti-government "yellow vest" protesters heckled and booed Macron in an incident that government allies said left the president shaken.</p>.<p>The identify of the man who attacked Macron, and his motives, were unclear.</p>
<p>A man in a crowd of onlookers slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face when he was on a walkabout in southern France on Tuesday, video showed.</p>.<p>Macron's security entourage pulled the man to the ground and moved Macron away. Two people were arrested, BFM TV and RMC radio reported.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Jean Castex said the attack was an affront to democracy.</p>.<p>Macron was on a visit to the Drome region in southeastern France, where he met restaurateurs and students to talk about returning to a normal life after the COVID-19 epidemic.</p>.<p>In a video circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in shirt sleeves, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers standing behind a metal barrier.</p>.<p>He reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-shirt, with glasses and a face mask.</p>.<p>The man could be heard shouting out "Down with Macronia" ("A Bas La Macronie") and then he slapped Macron in the face.</p>.<p>The man could also be heard shouting "Montjoie Saint Denis", the battle cry of the French army when the country was still a monarchy.</p>.<p>Two of Macron's security detail tackled the man in the green T-shirt, while another ushered Macron away. Macron remained in the vicinity of the crowd for a brief moment, gesturing to someone on the other side of the barriers before his security agents moved him away.</p>.<p>Macron played down the incident, blaming "ultra-violent" individuals.</p>.<p>"I am doing fine. We must put this incident, which I think is an isolated event, into perspective," he told the Dauphine Libere newspaper in an interview after the incident in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region.</p>.<p>But he added: "Let's not let isolated events, ultra-violent individuals... take hold of the public debate: they do not merit it."</p>.<p>The Elysee Palace said there had been an attempt to strike Macron, but declined further comment.</p>.<p>In 2016, Macron, who was economy minister at the time, was pelted with eggs by hard-left trade unionists during a strike against labour reforms. Macron described that incident as "par for the course" and said it would not curb his determination.</p>.<p>Two years later, anti-government "yellow vest" protesters heckled and booed Macron in an incident that government allies said left the president shaken.</p>.<p>The identify of the man who attacked Macron, and his motives, were unclear.</p>