The death of Quentin Deranque is proving to be a turning point for the French far right, a movement riddled with deep divisions. Deranque, a 23-year-old far-right activist, was attacked in Lyon on Thursday, February 12, by individuals suspected of belonging to the antifascist group Jeune Garde, which is close to the radical left La France Insoumise (LFI) party. The various factions of the far right plan to gather on Saturday, February 21, for a march in memory of the young member of the revolutionary nationalist movement. Despite the gathering, the radical far right is undergoing a major upheaval.

On February 20, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated on the RTL radio station that he would not seek to ban the march. However, many fear violence could break out. Grégory Doucet, Lyon’s Green mayor, called for the march to be banned, as did several left-wing lawmakers. Before leaving India, President Emmanuel Macron urged the “extremist parties” to “clean house,” specifying “the far left in this case,” but also “the far right, which sometimes has activists in its ranks who justify violence.”

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