A 28-year-old Frenchman who described himself as an extreme-right “patriot” was sentenced to four months in prison for slapping Macron in the face. Damien Tarel was also banned from ever holding public office in France and from owning weapons for 5 years
VALENCE, France — A 28-year-old Frenchman who described himself as a right-wing or extreme-right “patriot” was sentenced to four months in prison Thursday for slapping President Emmanuel Macron in the face.
He sat straight and showed no emotion as the court in the southeastern city of Valence convicted him on a charge of violence against a person invested with public authority. He was sentenced to four months in prison and handed an additional 14-month suspended sentence. His girlfriend broke down in tears.
Tarel acknowledged hitting the president with a “rather violent” slap. “When I saw his friendly, lying look, I felt disgust, and I had a violent reaction,” he told the court. “It was an impulsive reaction... I was surprised myself by the violence.” He told investigators that he held right- or ultra-right political convictions without being a member of a party or group, according to the prosecutor’s office.The slap called attention to an assortment of ultra-right groups bubbling beneath France’s political landscape, which are considered increasingly dangerous despite their small following.
At the same time, the president added, “we must not make it banal, because anyone with public authority is entitled to respect.”
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