France’s radical left has come under intense political pressure following the death of a university student in Lyon, with government ministers blaming militants linked to the far-left for the fatal attack.
Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old mathematics student and nationalist activist, died on Saturday, two days after he was beaten in a street assault. Lyon state prosecutor said a murder investigation has been opened, adding that Deranque was punched and kicked by at least six people and suffered fatal injuries to his skull and brain.
The attack followed a confrontation on Thursday linked to a small protest in Lyon against a visit by a left-wing politician to the Institute of Political Studies, also known as Sciences Po. Deranque had gone to support the hard-right feminist collective Némésis, which was staging the demonstration.
According to prosecutors, there was an initial clash between two opposing groups. Later, Deranque and two other nationalist activists were chased and cornered. Mobile phone footage from nearby streets showed three young men being attacked by a larger group, with one left lying on the ground.
Senior figures in President Emmanuel Macron’s government directly blamed the far left. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the violence was clearly carried out by far-left militants, while Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said there was no doubt about who was responsible.
The killing has put the radical left party France Unbowed under scrutiny, along with a banned militant group known as La Jeune Garde, which has previously provided security at left-wing rallies. Members of Némésis claimed they recognised activists from La Jeune Garde among those who disrupted their protest, though the group has denied involvement.
The demonstration was directed against a meeting involving LFI European lawmaker Rima Hassan, who condemned the violence and called for a full investigation. She said the security present during her visit was provided by her party and had no role in the clashes.
Deranque’s family lawyer said the student was not part of any security detail and had never been involved in violent activity. Friends described him as a practising Catholic who had become active in nationalist politics in recent years.
Right-wing politicians strongly attacked LFI, accusing it of encouraging violence by so-called anti-fascist militants. European lawmaker Marion Maréchal said responsibility lay with the radical left, while others said the killing reflected a climate of hatred.
LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon rejected the accusations, saying his party had nothing to do with the incident. He expressed sympathy for Deranque’s family and said LFI opposes all forms of violence.
No arrests have yet been made, and investigators say efforts to identify the suspects are continuing as political tensions rise ahead of key local elections next month.
With inputs from BBC