A disgruntled bystander began to hurl tomatoes at French President Emmanuel Macron as he made his first public appearance after his recent re-election victory.
After his victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen, the French President decided to visit the French town of Cergy-Pontoise in the Paris suburbs, a low-income area where far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon came out on top in the first round of voting on April 10.
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While the French President was busy meeting residents, a bunch of cherry tomatoes passed close to his face and hit bystanders.
Reacting swiftly, his security detail shouted “projectile! projectile!” covering Macron’s head with their hands before protecting him with a black umbrella.
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In the video, Macron appeared to stay calm and was heard telling bystanders “No! No! No fighting.”
In June 2021, he was slapped in the face by a man while greeting locals on another trip.
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During the visit, Macron said that there is a need to create conditions for real and effective equality of opportunity in the poorest neighbourhoods, whether in cities or rural areas. It is the only way to get rid of this distrust and sense of abandonment, he added.
France’s Constitutional Council is due to certify the results of the election paving the way for Macron’s second term to start in May.
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Eyeing parliamentary elections in June, Macron is expected to name a new prime minister and government in the coming days but has offered no clues on who he may be considering.
With this victory, the French President Emmanuel faces the daunting challenge of uniting a deeply divided nation.
Centrist Macron won 58.54 per cent of the vote in the second-round run-off compared with 41.46 for Le Pen, as per the final results from the interior ministry.