French President Emmanuel Macron was forced to take an unscheduled 30-minute walk through the streets of New York after his vehicle was blocked by security preparations for US President Donald Trump's motorcade. The incident occurred following Macron's speech at the United Nations, where he announced France's recognition of a Palestinian state.
Video footage captured by a reporter from the social media outlet Brut shows Macron exiting his car and speaking with police officers who had stopped his vehicle to clear the way for Trump's expected arrival. An officer told Macron, 'I'm sorry, president, I'm really sorry, everything has been frozen, there's a motorcade coming right now.'
Macron, who remained behind a metal barrier, then took out his phone and appeared to call Trump directly. Leaning on the barrier, he said laughingly, 'How are you? Guess what? I'm waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you.'
Eventually allowed through on foot but not in his car, Macron proceeded to walk for about 30 minutes with his security detail, stopping to pose for photographs with passersby. One man even kissed him on the forehead.
The incident occurred after Macron's speech at a UN special summit on Monday evening, where he said, 'The time has come to end the war in Gaza, the massacres and the death. The time has come to do justice for the Palestinian people and thus to recognise the state of Palestine in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.' He also proposed a UN-mandated international stabilisation force for postwar Gaza, a plan expected to find support in many countries but not in Israel or the US.
