PARIS, July 14: A deranged neo-Nazi fired a rifle shot in an attempt to assassinate President Jacques Chirac during France’s Bastille Day parade on Sunday, but the man was quickly subdued and the march continued uninterrupted.

The 25-year-old man, wearing a hooded black jacket, pulled the 22 calibre sporting rifle out of a brown guitar case and fired at 0755 GMT as Mr Chirac passed by in an open military jeep.

He was rapidly overpowered by bystanders, then thrown to the ground, handcuffed and led away by police — both uniformed and plainclothed — responding to cries from onlookers standing opposite the Arc de Triomphe.

Chirac, at the head of the march commemorating the 1789 French Revolution, did not hear the shot and was informed of the incident later.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed the man had aimed at Chirac and said the president was within range of the shooter, who was standing 100 to 150 metres away from the vehicle in which Chirac was travelling.