French authorities on Wednesday arrested two more suspects over the fatal beating of 23-year-old far-right activist Quentin Deranque on the sidelines of a protest in Lyon last week, bringing the total number of those detained to 11. The killing has heightened political tensions ahead of municipal elections next month.
Issued on: 18/02/2026 - 11:13Modified: 18/02/2026 - 13:42
French authorities Wednesday arrested two more suspects over the killing last week of a far-right activist, a prosecutor said, bringing the number of those detained for questioning to 11.
Quentin Deranque, 23, died after sustaining a severe brain injury when he was attacked by at least six people last week on the sidelines of a far-right protest against a left-wing politician speaking at a university in the southeastern city of Lyon.
The incident has fuelled tension between France's far right and hard left ahead of municipal elections in March and the 2027 presidential race, in which the far-right National Rally (RN) party is seen as having its best chance yet of winning the top job.
Read moreFrench government blames hard left for 'climate of violence' after killing of far-right activist
The latest man detained, suspected of having a direct link to the violence, and his partner, suspected of having helped him evade justice, were taken into custody as part of the investigation for "intentional homicide", said Thierry Dran, the prosecutor for the southeastern city of Lyon.
Six of the other detainees are suspected of having participated in the beating and three of aiding them, a source following the case said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
An assistant to Raphaël Arnault, a member of parliament from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, was among the first four detained, the source said.
Arnault said he was firing the assistant.
Bomb alert
An anti-immigration collective called Nemesis, which claims to fight violence against Western women, said Deranque had been at the protest in Lyon to protect its members.
Nemesis has blamed the killing on La Jeune Garde (Young Guard), an anti-fascist youth group co-founded by LFI's Arnault before he was elected to parliament.
La Jeune Garde – which was dissolved in June – has denied any links to the "tragic events", while Arnault has called the killing horrific.
Right-wing politicians and members of President Emmanuel Macron's government have accused LFI of encouraging violence by so-called "antifa" (anti-fascist militants) – claims denied by the hard-left party.
LFI has reported numerous attacks on its premises in the wake of Deranque's death and police ordered staff to evacuate the party's Paris headquarters on Wednesday following a bomb threat.
"Those who are using the tragic death of a young man to attack (LFI) must cease their despicable manoeuvres," party lawmaker Clémence Guetté, a deputy head of the National Assembly, wrote in a post on X following the bomb alert.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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