French authorities arrested nine suspects in the fatal street beating of 23-year-old mathematics student and right-wing activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon, a case that has shaken France’s political landscape and triggered renewed scrutiny of figures linked to the far-left.
Deranque died Saturday, two days after prosecutors said he was attacked near Lyon’s Institute of Political Studies during unrest surrounding a protest, according to TF1 Info.
Prosecutor Thierry Dran said Deranque was “kicked and punched” by “at least six” assailants. An autopsy found fatal injuries to his skull and brain, the broadcaster reported.
The violence followed a demonstration by the anti-immigration feminist collective Némésis outside a university conference featuring far-left European Parliament member Rima Hassan, Reuters reported.
Among those detained is Jacques-Elie Favrot, identified in French media reports as a parliamentary assistant tied to LFI lawmaker Raphaël Arnault. French outlet LCP reported Favrot said, through his lawyer, that he was stepping back from his duties during the investigation and denied responsibility for Deranque’s death.
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The arrests have also revived attention on La Jeune Garde, a dissolved far-left “antifascist” group that has been publicly linked to the case in political debate and press coverage.
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the killing and urged calm. Writing on X, Macron called Deranque’s death “an unprecedented outburst of violence,” adding: “Hatred that kills has no place in our country.”
Authorities have not yet publicly detailed potential charges. The investigation remains ongoing.
