French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, February 14, urged calm and restraint after the fatal beating of a 23-year-old French youth aligned with the far-right on the sidelines of a conference by a hard-left lawmaker in the southeastern city of Lyon.
The death of the young man – identified only as Quentin – has intensified tensions between France’s far-right and radical left who are both eyeing 2027 presidential elections.
He had been hospitalized in Lyon on Thursday after being attacked while providing what his supporters said was security for a protest against an appearance by hard-left MEP Rima Hassan at the Lyon branch of the Sciences Po university.
France right now is like a powder keg
This far-right activist was beaten by a street group calling themselves the Young Guards (“Le Jeune Gardes”). What makes this case dangerous is that Raphael Arnault, leader of Young Guards, is also a famous French MP.
He is part of a left-wing party calling themselves the France Rebellion (“France Insoumise”).
Raphael Arnault has been involved in street fights with Young Guards against Lepen supporters. He was even sentenced to jail by a judge. However, his political party always defended him, despite his criminal conviction.
Now, the France Rebellion party is getting blamed for this death. And they are facing massive calls for physical retribution.
Things could really get out of control.
Let’s hope that cool heads prevail.
For the sake of accuracy, as i think the translation “France rebellion” makes it sound more ominous, i believe something closer to the meaning would be like “indomitable France”.