Paris | French President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm ahead of high-risk marches scheduled for Saturday in memory of Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old far-right activist whose brutal killing has sent shockwaves through the country’s political landscape.
Deranque died on February 16, succumbing to severe brain injuries and a fractured skull two days after being viciously assaulted in Lyon. The attack occurred during violent clashes between left- and right-wing demonstrators on the sidelines of a student event at the Lyon Institute of Political Studies. Deranque had been attending the event alongside the far-right feminist nationalist collective, Nemesis.
Authorities have described the assault as a “methodically prepared” ambush by masked individuals who vastly outnumbered the victim. So far, 11 suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder. Several of those detained reportedly have links to ‘Jeune Garde,’ a militant far-left antifascist collective that the French government officially dissolved in 2025. Adding fuel to the political fire, one of the arrested suspects is a parliamentary assistant to Raphaël Arnault, a lawmaker from the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party.
Addressing the crisis on Saturday at the opening of the International Agricultural Fair in Paris, President Macron firmly condemned the killing and the broader rise in political extremism. Calling the attack “an unprecedented outburst of violence,” he emphasized that “no cause, no ideology will ever justify killing.”
“In the Republic, no violence is legitimate,” Macron stated. “In the Republic, only Republican forces can act because they protect the Republican order. There is no place for militias.”
He also announced plans to convene a high-level security meeting next week with the prime minister and relevant cabinet members to discuss strategies for dismantling violent political groups.
For now, the government’s immediate priority is maintaining order this weekend. Police are on high alert as multiple rallies honoring Deranque are set to take place across France. The largest march is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Lyon, the epicenter of the tragedy. The Interior Ministry expects between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees at the Lyon rally, which carries a significant risk of retaliatory clashes given the heavy presence of both far-right and antifascist factions in the city.
The killing has also triggered an unexpected diplomatic spat. On Friday, the U.S. State Department weighed in, with Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers suggesting the killing of Deranque should be treated as “terrorism.” Warning that “violent radical leftism was on the rise,” Rogers’ comments threaten to strain relations between Washington and Paris, which have already been navigating tensions over trade and tech regulation.
As France braces for a tense weekend, the overarching message from the government is one of strict restraint. The nation watches anxiously, hoping the justice system can address the deep political fractures before the streets witness more bloodshed.
