WATCH: Emmanuel Macron Pelted With Tomatoes at Market During Trip to Ile-De-France
23:26 GMT 27.04.2022 (Updated: 19:28 GMT 03.11.2022)
© AP Photo / Efrem LukatskyFrench President Emmanuel Macron gestures while speaking during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following their talks in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022
© AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
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French President Emmanuel Macron, who became the first re-elected president in 20 years, is expected to face growing social anger amid post-election protests in some areas, where residents are particularly sensitive to inflation and unemployment.
Residents of the French municipality of Cergy, located in the suburbs of Paris, threw cherry tomatoes at Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, who was re-elected for a second term in the April 24 election.
The incident occurred when Macron and his security guards tried to pass through a crowd at a local food market. A video, published by BFMTV, shows several vegetables in a blue bag sailing over the president’s head.
While someone shouted “Projectile!”, Macron's guards covered him first with their hands and then with a black umbrella. He was taken to the nearest market stall, where he spent several minutes until the crowd calmed down.
Emmanuel Macron ciblé par un jet de tomates lors de son déplacement à Cergy pic.twitter.com/3J0hXIZSRP
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) April 27, 2022
In another video from the same market, a man climbed onto a table and tried to jump in Macron’s direction while the president was hiding under the umbrella.
Macron à Cergy 😂 🍅 pic.twitter.com/yTBynWvbVI
— Jerome P (@JeromeP33415925) April 27, 2022
After the incident, Macron continued walking around the market and chatting with local residents. He told reporters that he was visiting the working-class district as part of his effort to fulfill his campaign promise to unite France and be “a president for all.”
This is not the first time that the French president has been attacked during meetings with citizens. Last summer, the president was slapped in the face during a visit to the Drome department. The attacker was later sentenced to four months in prison. In September, someone threw an egg at Macron as he arrived in Lyon to visit a local exhibition.