French police arrest hard-left members over killing of far-right activist
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French far-right activist Quentin Deranque died on Feb 14 after being beaten to death by hard-left activists two days earlier, outside a conference in Lyon.
PHOTO: AFP
- Far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23, died after being beaten by hard-left activists in Lyon, sparking a murder probe and national political tension.
- Four people, including a parliamentary aide to a hard-left lawmaker, were arrested in connection with Deranque's killing, deepening political unrest.
- The killing hardened views against LFI, while leaders like Mélenchon and Macron appealed for calm amid accusations from the far-right.
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PARIS - Four people, including an aide to a French hard-left lawmaker, have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a far-right activist that has jolted the country’s political class, a police source said on Feb 17.
Mr Quentin Deranque, 23, died on Feb 14
Videos of the deadly fight were widely shared on social media.
France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Raphael Arnault confirmed on Feb 17 that his parliamentary assistant was among those detained, adding that the aide had “stopped all parliamentary work”.
“It is now up to the investigation to determine responsibility”, he said, in a statement on social media platform X.
The aide and three other people have been arrested, said the police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Although conflicts between the hard left and far right are common in France, Mr Deranque’s killing has laid bare some of the broader political tensions
It has also hardened views towards the extreme-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, while allowing the far right to portray itself as a victim of political violence
Speaking on social media, LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon called for calm.
“Let’s not fuel the incitement to take the law into one’s own hands,” he said.
On Feb 16, Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran said a murder probe had been opened into Mr Deranque’s killing, which has led to widespread condemnation of the LFI.
Mr Jordan Bardella, party president of the far-right National Rally, said Mr Melenchon had “opened the doors of the National Assembly to presumed murderers”.
After Mr Deranque’s death, French President Emmanuel Macron also appealed for calm.
