The French president was forced to take refuge from hundreds of angry protesters who threatened to beat him up during a campaign trip
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was forced to hide in a bar after a mob of protesters threatened to beat him up.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy begins his campaign in Bayonne amid
unhappy protesters. However, it was all fine till he was suddenly pelted
with eggs.
The 57-year-old French president, who is standing for re-election in April, was campaigning in the south west of the Basque country.
Pelted
Eggs and stones were thrown at the 5.5 feet head of state who at one stage looked as though he would disappear under a crowd of people in the city of Bayonne.
As soon as the eggs and stones were hurled at him, Sarkozy’s guards
hovered around him trying to protect him from the abuse.
His security staff instead ushered him into a bar, where the teetotaller president had to drink coffee for more than hour while riot police dispersed the protesters. “The protesters said they wanted to beat him up — they said they wanted him to resign,” said an eye-witness.
A security guard opened an umbrella to protect the 5.5 feet head of state
and escorted him to a nearby cafe where he had to wait for an hour while
protesters were brought under control. pics/AFP
“He looked very concerned indeed. Sarkozy is used to angry crowds, but this one was very threatening.”
‘Hooliganism’
When Sarkozy emerged from the Bar du Palais after around an hour he appeared shaken, describing those who had baited him as ‘hooligans’.
Many were Basque separatists who resent having to abide by laws from Paris. Sarkozy denounced ‘the violence of a minority and their unacceptable behaviour’.
He added: “Here, we’re in France, on the territory of the French Republic. The President of the Republic will go where he likes, and if that doesn’t please a minority of troublemakers, too bad for them.”
Opinion polls regularly show that Sarkozy is by far the most unpopular head of state in the history of modern France.
He is widely expected to lose the election to Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.
Jostled by protesters
Nicolas Sarkozy claimed a political goal on Thursday after securing investment to restart an idled steelmill that has become symbolic of France’s industrial decline, but he was later jostled by militants while campaigning.
—Agencies