Quentin Deranque, a young far-right activist, died last Saturday after being targeted and beaten to the ground with his far-right group by an antifascist group on the sidelines of a conference at Sciences Po Lyon featuring MEP Rima Hassan. This tragic event is part of a long history of violent clashes between radical groups, both far right and far left. One emblematic example is the “years of lead” in Italy in the 1970s. Today, we delve into this historical context with Marc Lazar, a retired professor at Sciences Po, specializing in Franco-Italian relations at Luiss University in Rome.
Marc Lazar believes that the death of Quentin Deranque is a clear sign of political polarization and radicalization. He notes the specific political climate in Lyon, marked by particularly active and sometimes violent groups, as well as the Palestinian cause that has sparked significant outrage among a portion of the youth, particularly university students. Lazar draws parallels with Italy in the 1960s, emphasizing the social mobilization and extensive left-wing movements during that era.
Regarding the current situation in Lyon, Philippe Corcuff highlights a violent climate that has persisted for about fifteen years, largely fueled by ultra-right groups. He mentions the formation of groups like Jeune Garde, initially created for protection but targeting groups like homosexuals, migrants, Muslims, and unionists. Philippe Corcuff points out a shift in some antifascist circles towards offensive violence, raising concerns about the absolute demonization of enemies and the risk of justifying lethal actions.
Discussing the use of violence within extreme left movements in the early 1970s, Didier Leschi recalls debates on the subject but notes that no deaths resulted from those conflicts due to a focus on controlling violence. Philippe Corcuff warns against the extremist right’s politicization of Quentin Deranque’s murder, suggesting that the far right quickly seized on the incident to vilify certain political groups without waiting for full information to surface.
Overall, these experts caution against the escalating tensions and instrumentalization of violence in political discourse, urging prudence and a clear stance against violence from all sides.
