Nine were arrested: an uproar in France following the murder of an extreme right-wing activist

The political arena in France is in turmoil after the murder of Quentin Dernak, a 23-year-old far-right activist, who was beaten to death in Lyon, according to several days. Yesterday (Tuesday), nine people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the attack, including a parliamentary assistant to a member of parliament from the far-left “Unyielding France” (LFI) party. The incident quickly turned from a criminal matter into a hotbed of political conflict between the right and the left, in the midst of a sensitive period leading up to elections.

Drunk, a mathematics student, was attacked on Thursday by a group of masked youths, who slapped and hit him on the head, and it was determined that he was a victim of lynching. According to the lawsuit, at least six people were involved in the attack, and the autopsy determined that he suffered fatal damage to his skull and brain. He was hospitalized in serious condition and died of his injuries on Saturday. The investigation is now underway on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter.

The attack happened after a small demonstration by a feminist collective associated with the extreme right, called “Nemesis”, in front of the Institute for Political Studies in Lyon, known as Sciences Po. Derank, who was active in radical right-wing movements including the neo-fascist group Allobroges Bourgoin and in the past also in the monarchist Action française movement associated with anti-Semitic positions, assisted in the security of the participants in the demonstration – which took place in protest of the appearance of the member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan from the extreme left in the country.

According to the reports, the suspects in the act are identified with extreme left-wing activists and are connected to the Jeune Garde (“Young Guard”) organization, which was disbanded last year. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez pointed to former members of the organization, while the name of Jacques Eli Favreau, an assistant to an LFI member of parliament, came up in testimony. The president of the National Assembly suspended Favre’s access badge to the parliament, while his lawyer denied any involvement.

The affair puts heavy pressure on the leader of the far-left LFI in France, Jean-Luc Melanchon, who is considered a possible presidential candidate in 2027. Melanchon claimed that his party “has nothing to do with this story” and expressed shock and compassion for the family. Member of Parliament Mathilde Fenu from the extreme left also rejected the claims of moral responsibility of her party, and accused the political opponents of “exploiting the tragedy”.

On the other hand, harsh accusations were heard on the right and extreme right. Members of Parliament claimed that “the extreme left has blood on their hands”, and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said that “words can kill”, accusing the LFI and Rima Hassan of fueling a violent atmosphere.

The confrontation spilled over to the National Assembly as well, where a minute’s silence in memory of Derank was quickly replaced by mutual accusations. At the same time, President Emmanuel Macron called for “calm” and “restraint”, against the background of worsening tensions between the extreme right and the extreme left.

Beyond the criminal aspect, the event overflows with deep political complexities. In Lyon, the city where the incident took place, repeated clashes between extreme right and extreme left activists are described. Rima Hassan’s lecture at the place has already ignited friction. Minister of Higher Education Philip Baptiste Shelah returned to the academic institutions demanding “increased vigilance” and closer supervision of political events on campuses, emphasizing that the responsibility for approving events rests with the university administrations, and in coordination with state representatives in case of fear of public disorder – and in effect called for Hassan’s temporary removal from academic institutions.

At the same time, there are also calls to calm the discourse. Some members of parliament and officials in the academy warn against further escalation and emphasize the importance of maintaining freedom of expression and pluralistic debate. However, against the background of the approaching municipal elections and the presidential campaign on the horizon (next year), Derank’s murder has become a symbol of acute political polarization, in which each side blames the other for fueling the violence and has difficulty stopping the deterioration.