Published 09 Jun, 2021 06:14pm

Pakistanis go on a meme fest as video of French President Emmanuel Macron being slapped goes viral

French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face during a public appearance on Tuesday. The news made global headlines and spread like wildfire on social media — and so did the jokes.

President Macron's past statements about freedom of speech have found him at odds with many Pakistanis, so it was inevitable that they wouldn't hold back their jokes or laughter.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the slap. All in all, it was a very humiliating moment for the French president.

Some people pointed out that this wasn't the first time a French leader had been on the receiving end of a hearty blow from one of their citizens.

People got behind the slapper.

Some appreciated his earlier politeness.

Others felt the cracking sound was soothing.

For some, it made their day.

Others thought it reminded them of something.

Some people thought that the very notion of freedom of speech very obviously implied the existence of — you guessed it — the "freedom to slap."

Some spotted a new rising trend.

According to Al Jazeera, the slapper has been identified as Damien Tarel, a 28-year-old who reportedly subscribed to far-right YouTube channels.

He is facing a maximum three-year prison sentence and a 45,000 Euro (Rs8.5 million) fine.

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