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Security scare as protesters surround France’s Macron, wife at Paris garden

  • A group of ‘yellow vest’ demonstrators hurled abuse as the French president and his wife walked with bodyguards in the Tuileries Gardens
  • The heated exchange lasted about six minutes as the agitated men complained about economic inequality

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French President Emmanuel Macron (front row, left) and his wife Brigitte Macron (front row, right) watch the Bastille Day military parade in Paris. Photo: AP
The security arrangements of French President Emmanuel Macron were brought into question on Wednesday after he was confronted by protesters during a walk in a public garden in Paris.
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A group of anti-government “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) demonstrators hurled abuse as he and his wife Brigitte walked with bodyguards in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris on Tuesday.

In a video posted on the Gilets Jaunes Infos page on Facebook, what appears to be a few dozen protesters boo and shout “Macron demission!” (”Macron resign”) as they surround the presidential party, many filming on their phones.

“It’s incredible, we’ve stumbled upon the thorn in our side,” one protester is heard saying.

Macron then engages in a close encounter with agitated men who wave fingers in his face while complaining about economic inequality and heavy-handed policing of protests. Neither Macron nor the demonstrators shown in the video were wearing face masks, recommended for preventing coronavirus contagion.

The heated exchange, with security guards looking on, lasted about six minutes.

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