Bag of small tomatoes causes scare at Macron event in France
Highlights
- Nearly 6 of small fruits, contained in what looked like a blue plastic bag, flew over Macron's head
- Someone in the crowd was overheard shouting “projectile”
- Macron's bodyguards were seen raising arms over his head to cover him
Newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday narrowly escaped being pelted by what looked like a small sackful of cherry tomatoes. The incident occurred while he was wading through a boisterous and packed crowd in a market northwest of Paris. As seen in videos shared on social media, nearly six small fruits, contained in what looked like a blue plastic bag, flew over the head of the French leader and bounced off the shoulder and arm of two men beside him.
Someone in the crowd was overheard shouting “projectile”, while the bodyguards raised arms over the French leader’s head to cover him.
Someone then unfurled a partly broken black umbrella to shield Macron, while his security detail steered him to cover under a nearby market-stall parasol.
The president sheltered there for a few moments until things calmed down.
It was unclear whether Macron, who was making his first public appearance since his re-election on Sunday, was the target of the little tomatoes.
However, the French president was thereafter seen happily continuing his walkabout in Cergy-Pontoise, mingling and talking to people at the market while earnestly campaigning ahead of France’s June legislative election.
He told reporters he visited the working-class neighborhood as part of his previously stated pledge to unite France after the bruising presidential campaign.
Macron wins French election -- What's next?
Macron comfortably beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s election runoff and is now looking to maintain his party’s majority in the lower house of parliament.
In his victory speech Sunday evening, he thanked the majority of French voters who chose him and vowed to lead a project for “a stronger Europe.”
“Europe is a framework for peace and stability. It’s our safer asset for today and tomorrow,” he said at a campaign rally in Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament. “Europe is what’s protecting us from crisis and war.”
Boosted by his victory, Macron figures to be in the spotlight when he pays an expected visit to Berlin in the coming days to meet with new Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has had a low-profile debut on the international stage. French presidents traditionally make their first post-election trip abroad to Germany as a celebration of the countries’ friendship after multiple wars.
(With inputs from AP)
