France: Nine Arrested After Death of Quentin Deranque in Lyon

The investigation into the brutal lynching of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque has gained momentum, leading to the detention of nine individuals on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Among the suspects, whose ages hover around 20, are seven men and two women. A key figure at the center of the scandal is Jacques-Elie Favrot, a close collaborator of MP Raphaël Arnault. Favrot was identified by witnesses as a participant in clashes that erupted on Thursday evening outside the Sciences Po building in Lyon, where a conference by MEP Rima Hassan was taking place. The victim of the assault, Quentin Deranque, associated with identitarian circles, died in hospital on Saturday from his injuries. The investigation, initially opened for assault, has been reclassified as murder. The event has resonated widely in the National Assembly, where President Yaël Braun-Pivet decided to immediately suspend Favrot's access to parliament. Although Arnault's assistant denies involvement in the lynching and voluntarily stepped back from his duties for the duration of the investigation, political pressure on the La France Insoumise (LFI) party continues to mount. The French political scene has been grappling for years with the radicalization of far-left and far-right groups, reminiscent of tensions from the 1930s. The Young Guard organization, founded by Arnault, is regularly accused by the right of using violence against political opponents.This situation has caused rifts on the left side of the French political spectrum. Raphaël Glucksmann of the Place Publique party openly criticized LFI, deeming it impossible to continue cultivating ideas of an alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Meanwhile, Raphaël Arnault defends himself, claiming that during the incident he tried to act as a “buffer” aimed at separating the feuding groups. Critics, however, point to links between LFI parliamentarians and militant groups such as Antifa or the Young Guard. „It is unthinkable for the left to entertain any shadow of doubt about a possible alliance with La France Insoumise in the face of such brutalization of public debate.” — Raphaël Glucksmann9 individuals — have been detained in the course of the investigation Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez directly pointed to the responsibility of far-left circles, further intensifying already tense social sentiments. In conservative media, Deranque's death is compared to symbolic victims of political clashes from the past, while left-wing media emphasize the need for a thorough clarification of the circumstances before passing judgment.Emphasizes the need for the presumption of innocence for the assistant and warns against exploiting the tragedy for a political attack on the entire LFI formation. | Highlights the links between MPs and militant groups and accuses the far left of sowing hatred leading to the physical elimination of opponents.