The radical left in France is facing increased pressure following the death of a student in Lyon, an event that has been attributed to “anti-fascist” militants.
Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old mathematics student and nationalist activist, passed away on Saturday. This occurred two days after he was assaulted on the street by a group of young men. Earlier on Thursday, he had provided support to Némésis, a hard-right feminist collective that organized a small protest. This demonstration was aimed at a planned visit by a left-wing politician to Lyon’s Institute of Political Studies, a facility widely known as Sciences-Po.
Mobile phone footage captured a few streets away from the protest site shows three young men being subjected to kicks and punches from a larger group. One individual, potentially Deranque, is seen remaining on the ground. Shortly after, Deranque was discovered wandering, exhibiting signs of confusion. He was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage and subsequently hospitalized, where he died on Saturday afternoon.
Ministers from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government have pointed fingers at “far-left” militants, holding them responsible for the student’s death. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated, “Manifestly, the far-left was at work. This was a mob killing, with blows that the perpetrators likely did not intend to be fatal.” Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin echoed this sentiment, affirming, “It is the far-left that killed him. Of that, there is no question.”
Amidst a charged political climate leading up to crucial municipal elections next month, attention on Monday focused on the radical left party France Unbowed (LFI) and a formerly banned security organization, La Jeune Garde (Young Guard). This group had previously assisted in providing security at LFI rallies. Members of the Némésis collective, whose Thursday demonstration opposed a meeting featuring Rima Hassan, an LFI Member of the European Parliament, claimed they identified activists from La Jeune Garde among those who initially disrupted their protest.
La Jeune Garde was established in 2018 by Raphaël Arnault. Arnault now holds a position as one of LFI’s 71 deputies in the National Assembly. The group was outlawed last year after accusations of inciting violence, though it has denied any involvement in the incident.
Hassan addressed the incident on Friday, condemning it and calling for an investigation. In a statement published on X, she clarified that LFI was solely responsible for her security during the visit and stressed they were “in no way” connected to the violence. Fabrice Rajon, the lawyer representing Deranque’s family, noted that Deranque “was not a security agent or a member of any protection group. He had never been involved in trouble. He defended his convictions in a non-violent way.”
Friends of Deranque shared with French media that he had recently reconnected with his Catholic faith and was active in nationalist politics. Alice Cordier, representing Némésis, explained that Deranque was among “about 15 young boys” whom the collective had asked to provide protection at their demonstration. She characterized their role not as professional security but as friends offering protection to the women.
Given the conflicting accounts of the event—with some descriptions referring to a “brawl,” others to an “ambush,” and some labeling it a “lynching”—the Lyon prosecutor’s office was scheduled to release an initial, impartial assessment of the incident at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
Politicians on the right were vocal in their condemnation of LFI. They argued that the party bore direct responsibility for fostering violence through so-called “antifa,” or anti-fascist, militants. Marion Maréchal, an MEP and niece of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, stated, “The militia of [LFI leader Jean-Luc] Mélenchon has killed and has blood on its hands.” Laurent Wauquiez, the parliamentary leader of the center-right Republicans, commented, “Quentin fell beneath the blows of monsters guided by hate and blinded by violence.” Bruno Retailleau, who recently announced his candidacy for the Republicans in the upcoming presidential elections, asserted, “Jean-Luc Mélenchon… contrary to what you claim, it is not the police that kills in France, it is the far-left.”
Mélenchon responded on Sunday, asserting that his party “had nothing to do with this affair. Those who accuse us are committing libel. We express our consternation, but also our empathy and compassion for [Deranque’s] family and friends. We have stated dozens of times that we oppose all forms of violence.”