France: Bag of Small Tomatoes Causes Scare at Macron Event

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) reacts as he meets residents at the Saint-Christophe market square in Cergy, Paris suburb, on April 27, 2022, during his first trip after being re-elected president. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (C) reacts as he meets residents at the Saint-Christophe market square in Cergy, Paris suburb, on April 27, 2022, during his first trip after being re-elected president. (AFP)
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France: Bag of Small Tomatoes Causes Scare at Macron Event

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) reacts as he meets residents at the Saint-Christophe market square in Cergy, Paris suburb, on April 27, 2022, during his first trip after being re-elected president. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (C) reacts as he meets residents at the Saint-Christophe market square in Cergy, Paris suburb, on April 27, 2022, during his first trip after being re-elected president. (AFP)

Newly reelected French President Emmanuel Macron narrowly avoided being pelted by what looked like a small sackful of cherry tomatoes Wednesday as he waded through a boisterous and packed crowd in a market northwest of Paris.

About six of the small fruits, some orange, some red, contained in what looked like a blue plastic bag, flew over the head of the French leader and bounced off the shoulder and arm of two men beside him, according to broadcaster BFM-TV's video.

Macron, a 44-year-old centrist, seemed oblivious to the near-miss until someone in the crowd shouted "projectile" and bodyguards raised arms over the French leader's head to cover him.

Someone then unfurled a partly broken black umbrella to shield him, and his security detail steered him to cover under a nearby market-stall parasol. The president sheltered there for a few moments until things calmed down.

It was unclear whether Macron, who was making his first public appearance since his reelection on Sunday, was the target of the little tomatoes. The high level of excitement as he shook hands and talked to people in the cheering crowd for some two hours was unusual.

Another snippet of video, shot from a different angle just after the tomatoes were thrown, showed a bystander clambering onto a table or another object and hurling himself backward in the direction of the gaggle of people around Macron.

The man appeared to throw a wayward punch as he flew through the air. There were screams as he landed hard on the crowd and then hit the ground.

Macron, ostensibly unharmed and unperturbed, then happily continued his walkabout in Cergy-Pontoise, mingling and talking to people at the market while earnestly campaigning ahead of France's June legislative election.

He told reporters he visited the working-class neighborhood as part of his previously stated pledge to unite France after the bruising presidential campaign.

Macron comfortably beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday's election runoff and is now looking to maintain his party's majority in the lower house of parliament.



Milan’s Historic La Scala Cracks Down on Tourist Dress Code

Milan’s La Scala opera house is an important Italian music institution dating back to the 16th century (Getty Images)
Milan’s La Scala opera house is an important Italian music institution dating back to the 16th century (Getty Images)
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Milan’s Historic La Scala Cracks Down on Tourist Dress Code

Milan’s La Scala opera house is an important Italian music institution dating back to the 16th century (Getty Images)
Milan’s La Scala opera house is an important Italian music institution dating back to the 16th century (Getty Images)

A historic opera house in Milan has cracked down on patrons and tourists entering the prestigious venue wearing summer attire such as shorts, tank tops and flip flops, warning they will be turned away if not dressed appropriately.

The opera was seen as a symbol of wealth and exclusivity in 19th-century high society, and the bourgeois elite of this time period would have been expected to turn up in tailcoats, cravats and long evening dresses, The Independent newspaper wrote on Monday.

While this opulent attire is not expected of patrons nowadays, it said Milan’s Teatro alla Scala opera house, commonly known as La Scala, has recently reinforced its smart dress code in the wake of opera-goers turning up in casual summer fashion.

“The public is kindly requested to dress in keeping with the decorum of the theater, out of respect for the theater and for other viewers,” La Scala’s policy said.

“People wearing shorts or sleeveless T-shirts will not be allowed inside the auditorium; in this case, tickets will not be reimbursed.”

The venue also has signs around the foyer and on tickets stating the same message, warning patrons that they will not get a refund if they turn up wearing clothes not in keeping with the “decorum.”

The rules over informal clothing were first introduced in 2015 when the summer season coincided with the World Expo in Milan, as a way to deter the influx of tourists turning up in summer wear.

“There are no special dress code requirements at La Scala,” a spokesperson at the theater told The Independent. “We are delighted that some of our audience members consider an evening at La Scala to be a special occasion and dress accordingly, but our priority is to welcome everyone and make sure they feel comfortable.

“This is precisely why, in 2015, we introduced restrictions on clothing that could cause discomfort to other audience members who have to share the often limited space of an 18th-century theater.

“With the return of summer (an especially hot one), we reminded the audience of these rules, which have remained unchanged for ten years.

“It would not be right to tell spectators how to dress, but it is necessary that they do dress, as not to cause discomfort to other people,” the spokesperson added.

La Scala’s spokesman added that there had been a “change in behavior led by visitors who do not follow opera but see La Scala as a landmark.”