Who slapped Macron?.. Surprise about his sentence and the president: stupidity and violence
In the latest development in the incident in which French President Emmanuel Macron was beaten
while touring the Drôme region of southeastern France,
police said they found weapons and a copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf book in the home of the second suspect,
a friend of the attacker
who was arrested for filming it. A video of the accident named Arthur C., aged 28.
And about the identity of the attacker on President Macron, French media reported that his name is Damien Taral,
also 28, and that he follows a number of right-wing extremists on social media.
The sources indicated that Damien lives in Saint-Vallier (Drom) north of Valencia, where he founded two associations
specialized in martial arts.
One of his close friends expressed his great surprise at the incident, as Damien is not a violent person
and has no history of such acts,
and it is not his style at all
One of Arthur's neighbors suggested that he always hang out with his close friend, and they never talked
about politics or religion.
Macron's Fist: Stupidity and Violence
French President Emmanuel Macron commented on the blow he received during his visit
to a small town in the southeast of the country,
saying that such actions demonstrate stupidity, violence and democracy has no place.
Macron said: “There is stupidity and when it is combined with violence it becomes unacceptable.
I listen for anger and it can be expressed in a democratic way.
I always meet people to connect with them and understand them. People express their anger against me and sometimes their
resentment and I am always present. Sometimes I find the answer and sometimes I don't.” I find it and I try to find it,
sometimes I misunderstand and sometimes I get it right,
this is legitimate outrage and we will always be there to answer it, but stupidity and violence have no place in a democracy.”
Interrogation of the assailant with the press about the visit 4 hours before the slapping incident
A fine of up to 750 euros
The authorities arrested the two young men and detained them with the police for further investigation,
according to the Public Prosecution Office in the municipality of Valencia,
where the accident occurred.
According to the prosecutor, the two young men, Damian and Arthur, are accused of assaulting a person
with public authority in the country.
And the media reported that if the person punched Macron, but the latter was not hurt, he would be prosecuted for “minor assault.”
Article R624-1 of the Criminal Code states that minor violence leads to a fourth degree fine, the amount
of which may not exceed 750 euros.
But if Macron's strike results in "less than eight days of his inability to work, the offender
faces 3 years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros."
This law applies to any attacker who has attacked a person of public authority in the country.
The local media was not sure that the suspect would receive such a severe punishment.
In a similar incident in 2017, young French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was beaten and given
a 3-month suspended prison sentence and 105 hours of community service.