VALENCE, France — A 28-year-old man who slapped French President Emmanuel Macron will stand trial on Thursday, and if found guilty of attacking a public official, he may face jail time and a fine.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Tarel informed detectives that he attacked without thinking. He is scheduled to appear in court in Valence, France’s Rhone Valley, on Thursday afternoon.
Another guy caught in the commotion that followed the slap, Arthur C., will be tried for unlawful weapon possession in 2022, according to the prosecutor.
According to the prosecution, neither Tarel nor Arthur C., both 28 years old, had any police history.
During a short meet-and-greet with members of the public, who were kept back behind road barriers in the winemaking town of Tain-l’Hermitage, videos showed Macron’s assailant hitting the French leader’s left cheek and his security moving the guy away.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Tarel told investigators he was linked to the yellow vest economic protest movement that rocked Macron’s administration in 2019 and also held right- or ultra-right political convictions without being a member of a party or organization.