The death of Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old young man belonging to a group of extreme righthas opened a new crack, reviving the debate on political violence in France and setting fire to it precampaña of the municipal elections of next month of March. In the last few hours, the police have arrested five people allegedly linked to the young man’s attack who died last Thursday in Lyonafter receiving a beating by militants of extreme left.
The detainees are accused of participating in the lynching of Deranque and now face charges of “voluntary manslaughter”, “aggravated violence” and “criminal conspiracy”, as reported by the Lyon Prosecutor’s Office. Among those arrested is parliamentary assistant to the deputy of La Francia Insumisa Raphaël Arnault, founder of the satellite organization ‘Young Guard’ (Joven Guardia).
Thanks to videos recorded by third parties, Agents were able to identify five of the attackers. In the images you can see a dozen young people from the extreme right and extreme left participating in a violent battle, which arose during the protest against an act by the Franco-Palestinian MEP. Rima Hassanfrom La Francia Insumisa (LFI), at the University of Sciences Po.
The police’s suspicions about the involvement of ‘Jeune Garde’ in the fatal beating of the young man seem to be gradually being confirmed. For the Minister of Justice, Gerald Darmaninthere is no doubt: “The extreme left murdered” Quentin Deranque, while for the leader of La Francia Insumisa, Jean-Luc Mélenchonthis is a story of the “manipulated” crime, thus far showing its support for this group.
This murder takes place at the gates of the municipal elections in France that will take place from March 15 to 22and after the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñezdescribed in a letter the La Francia Insumisa party as “extreme left.” A context that only aggravates the already suffocating political tension that the country is going through.
Tension at university
Until this Thursday, Quentin Deranque was a Mathematics student, who was active in the monarchist and extreme right organization, French Action. On the day of the attack, he had gone to the Sciences Po University of Lyon to support the far-right women’s collective Nemesis.
Fearing that the presence of nemesis at the university caused tensions, several young people belonging to related groups, including Deranque, had come to provide support. According to what several members of Némesis told the authorities, a far-left group attacked them, tearing off the banner they were carrying and attacking several of them. That’s when the fight allegedly broke out.
An event that fractures the National Assembly
The event has had a direct effect on French politics. This Tuesday, the National Assembly observed a minute of silence in memory of Quentin, which broke between applause and gestures of indignation.
The prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, did not take long to ask the deputies to be responsible“respecting the vote of the French people and the values of the republic.” “It is an absolutely horrific tragedy (…) The truth must be revealed through the courts without any pressure on the investigators. Justice must be delivered without any pressure,” insisted the head of Government.
The Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, however, was much more blunt and pointed out the ‘Jeune Garde’ as the author of this crime and asked La Francia Insumisa to condemn the events. The president, Emmanuel Macronalso wanted to comment on the matter: “In Lyon, Quentin was the victim of unprecedented violence,” he wrote on his
Dissolved organization
The Young Guard It was founded in 2018 by the current deputy of La Francia Insumisa Raphaël Arnault, in a context in which the extreme right was putting down increasingly solid roots in Lyon. Precisely, since the early 2000s, the city has been the scene of numerous ultra attacks.
After several violent events, the Government decided dissolve satellite organization in June 2025accusing the collective of “violent activism to promote their ideology”, “violent street fighting training” and “violent communication on social networks.”
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