Demonstrators gather during a rally in honor of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, in Metz on February 16, 2026. JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP
French authorities have arrested nine suspects over the killing last week of a far-right activist, the prosecutor for the southeastern city of Lyon Thierry Dran said on Tuesday, February 17. 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 Lyon.
A source confirmed to Le Monde that an assistant to Raphaël Arnault, a lawmaker from the radical-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party, was among those detained.
Arnault reacted on X on Tuesday night by saying he was firing the assistant. "As of yesterday, before learning of his arrest this evening, we initiated the procedures with the Assembly’s services to terminate his contract. It is now up to the investigation to determine responsibility," the MP wrote.
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