A motorcade carrying Pope Francis arrives at the Hassan Tower esplanade in Rabat, Morocco, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

RABAT (Reuters) - A man ran towards a car carrying the Moroccan king shortly after the arrival of Pope Francis in the North African nation on Saturday, but he was swiftly seized by security guards, live TV footage from the state broadcaster showed.

King Mohammed VI was standing up in the open-top car waving at crowds lining a street in Rabat, traveling in a motorcade alongside the pope’s vehicle. The king’s car sped up slightly but there was no other sign of disruption.

It was not immediately clear what the man was trying to do.