France Bans Radical Groups Following Tragic Death of Quentin Deranque

On Tuesday, in Lyon, amidst an atmosphere of extreme tension, the funeral ceremonies for Quentin Deranque took place. The family of the deceased, wishing to protect their son's memory from political instrumentalization, organized the ceremony in strict privacy, not disclosing the burial site. However, this tragedy forced the French government to take immediate legal steps. The Ministry of the Interior announced the start of a procedure to ban three far-right groups and one far-left organization. The Paris prosecutor's office also launched an investigation into the suspected illegal reconstitution of structures belonging to the dissolved Jeune Garde movement, which, despite the bans, may still be operating underground. French internal security law, stemming from 1936 legislation, allows the president to dissolve armed groups and organizations inciting hatred. This mechanism has historically been used to combat paramilitary leagues threatening the stability of the Third Republic. Simultaneously, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party, became the center of public debate. During a conference regarding a manifesto ahead of the municipal elections, the politician personally selected journalists, not allowing representatives from editorial offices he deemed part of the "media party." This met with sharp opposition from the organization Reporters Without Borders, which accused him of a blatant violation of citizens' right to information. President Emmanuel Macron, in turn, expressed deep concern over the escalation of violence, which is beginning to make the local election campaign resemble street clashes. „Nos antifascistes sont des pogromistes qui se prennent pour des résistants” (Our anti-fascists are pogromists who think they are resistance fighters) — Alain Finkielkraut The situation is being exacerbated by further politically motivated incidents. In Montpellier, three far-right activists suspected of assaulting communist sympathizers were detained, and in Marseille, vandalism affected the parliamentary office of a right-wing candidate, where graffiti reading "A mort Vassal" appeared. These attacks confirm the government's fears about a developing "retaliation mechanism" between the extreme wings of the political scene. François Hollande, the former president, criticized Mélenchon's stance, accusing him of pouring oil on the fire during a period of national mourning. 4 — extreme organizations subject to the procedure of complete dissolution by the Ministry of the Interior Lyon, where the tragedy occurred, has for years been an arena of confrontation between strong identitarian right-wing structures and radical anarchist and anti-fascist groups.