French President Emmanuel Macron has called for “everyone to remain calm” before the high-security march on Saturday, paying tribute to a far-right activist who was beaten to death by members of the ultra-left in Lyon.
Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old student, succumbed to a flurry of blows on February 12 while lying on the ground by a group of at least six hooded individuals. A march in his honor will be supervised this Saturday in Lyon by an “extremely important” deployment of police officers and gendarmes, as authorities fear clashes between the two camps.
“It is a moment of remembrance and respect for our young compatriot who was killed,” said the head of state at the opening of the Agricultural Fair in Paris. “In the Republic, no violence is legitimate,” he insisted. “There is no place for militias, wherever they come from.”
The president also announced a meeting with the government next week to “provide a complete overview of the violent action groups that are thriving and have links to political parties of any kind.” Six men suspected of participating in the fatal assault have been indicted for “voluntary manslaughter,” and a parliamentary assistant to a radical left-wing deputy for “complicity.”
Context: The article discusses President Macron’s response to the violent death of a far-right activist and the security concerns surrounding a march in his honor in Lyon.
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