Nine people, including a parliamentary assistant, have been arrested in France after a 23-year-old man was beaten by a mob in Leon, causing his death.
Quentin Deranque, who had volunteered to stand guard for members of the right-wing feminist group Collectif Némésis, died after he sustained a severe brain injury when he was attacked by at least six people during a demonstration at a university in Leon.
Deranque, a recent convert to Catholicism, was a student of data science at the University of Leon.
He was kicked and punched by at least six assailants during the attack, amidst which at least two others were assaulted, but managed to escape.
Members of the feminist group had gathered to protest the appearance of left-wing MEP Rima Hassan, who is an open critic of Israel, at the Institute of Political Studies in Lyon.
Frontrèz reported the words of an eyewitness who claimed that those protesting the appearance of Hassan were attacked by a group of about 30-40 members.
The witness claimed that implements such as knuckle dusters were used and that members of the protest group had been chased during the incident.
Le Monde reports that among those arrested in relation to the killing is an assistant of Raphaël Arnault, a lawmaker from the radical-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party.
Némésis claims that responsibility for the young man’s death lies at the hands of Jeune Garde, a so-called “anti-fascist” youth group co-founded by Arnault before his election.
It is understood that all of those arrested are linked to the group, which has been described as an “extreme splinter group” of Antifa.
Arnault posted on X in response to his assistant’s implication in the killing, “As of yesterday, before learning of his arrest this evening, we initiated the procedures with the Assemblée’s services to terminate his contract. It is now up to the investigation to determine responsibility.”
President Emmanuel Macron said, ‘It is essential that the perpetrators of this ignominy be prosecuted, brought to justice and convicted. There is no place for murderous hatred in our society.’
Leader of right-wing party, National Rally, Marine Le Pen said, “barbarians responsible for this lynching.”
Yesterday afternoon, French lawmakers held a minute of silence at the Assemblée in memory of the deceased.
Collectif Némésis has launched a petition calling on lawmakers to proscribe antifa as a terrorist organisation.
“In the wake of a horrific attack on 20-year-old Quentin, left for dead in the streets of Lyon by far-left antifascist groups, the government must take responsibility and designate the antifa movement as a terrorist organization.” it said.
“For many years, the Némésis collective and I have been warning about the danger posed by these groups and the extreme violence they are capable of. These recent events are unfortunately not isolated incidents: they are part of a climate of intimidation, repeated attacks, and pressure aimed at silencing all ideological opposition through fear and violence.”
“Several countries, such as Hungary, Russia, and the United States, have already designated this movement as a terrorist organization. France must also follow this path and act firmly against all forms of political violence.”
In the letter addressed to French Minister for Justice Gerard Darmanie, the group asked, “How many more victims will it take before clear and courageous decisions are made?”