Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old young man, died on February 14 in a hospital in Lyon after being brutally assaulted two days earlier near the Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). The Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to clarify the facts.
The assault occurred on February 12, when Deranque was participating in a protest called by the female identitarian collective Némésis against the intervention of the La France Insoumise (LFI) MEP Rima Hassan at the university center.
An Assault in the Middle of the Street
According to Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran, the young man and other protesters were attacked by about twenty hooded and masked individuals. At least six people beat Deranque while he was already on the ground, causing him a traumatic brain injury.
The young man was admitted to the hospital in a coma a few hours after the assault and died on February 14 as a result of the injuries sustained.
Ongoing Investigation
The authorities have opened an investigation to identify those responsible for the attack. So far, no arrests have been reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm and emphasized that “no cause or ideology will ever justify killing.”
The case has generated strong shock in Lyon and has reignited the debate on political violence and radicalization in certain areas of activism.
The judicial investigation will have to determine the exact circumstances of the attack and the possible criminal responsibilities.