Lyon,France, 22 February (H.S.): Approximately 3,000 far-right supporters marched through Lyon on Saturday,honoring 23-year-old nationalist activist Quentin Deranque, who succumbed to severe brain injuries on February 14 after a brutal street beating during clashes between far-left and far-right groups.

Deranque, a mathematics student providing security for the anti-immigration Collectif Némésis, suffered critical head trauma on February 12 near Sciences Po Lyon during a brawl sparked by protests against far-left MEP Rima Hassan's keynote address.

Isolated and assaulted by at least six masked attackers roughly 2 kilometers away on Quai Fulchiron, he deteriorated rapidly; paramedics found him around 19:40, airlifting him to Édouard-Herriot Hospital where he entered a coma and died two days later from traumatic brain injury, per autopsy findings.

Lyon prosecutors charged seven suspects with intentional homicide, aggravated violence, and criminal conspiracy; six faced all counts, while a seventh—a parliamentary aide to France Unbowed (LFI) MP Raphaël Arnault and co-founder of the dissolved antifascist Jeune Garde (Young Guard)—was indicted for complicity.

Authorities detained eleven initially, linking several to LFI networks, though the party denies involvement.Macron's Call for Restraint and Policy PivotPresident Emmanuel Macron urged calm ahead of the tribute, prioritizing remembrance and respect for Deranque's family before vowing firmness and responsibility.

He announced a ministerial review next week targeting violent activist groups tied to political parties, signaling potential dissolutions: In the republic, no violence is legitimate. There is no place for militias, wherever they come from.

Participants observed a minute's silence, brandishing white tulips, Justice for Quentin banners, and stickers decrying Mélenchon's militia—pointing fingers at LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon ahead of municipal polls and 2027 presidential race.

Many wore black, some masked; organizer Christian Petiteau decried a cowardly murder. Deranque's parents stayed away, also calling for peace; the event proceeded peacefully under heavy police watch.

Lyon, long a far-right cradle clashing with newer far-left militants, saw no major incidents. Critics like National Rally's Jordan Bardella demand an anti-LFI front; even Socialist ex-President François Hollande warned against left alliances. Mélenchon condemned the killing but rejected blame.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar