Man who slapped Macron ‘subscribes to far-right YouTube channels’

Suspect identified as 28-year-old Damien Tarel slapped the French president during a walkabout, a moment that has gone viral on social media.

The man alleged to have slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face subscribes to several far-right YouTube channels and is a fan of medieval swordsmanship, media reports and sources close to the investigation said on Wednesday. A police source identified the suspect as 28-year-old Damien Tarel, who had no previous criminal record. He remained under investigation in police custody on Wednesday and is expected to be charged with assaulting a public figure, which carries a maximum three-year prison term and a 45,000-euro (nearly $55,000) fine.