A young French nationalist activist is fighting for his life after a brutal street assault in the city of Lyon that has reignited national outrage over radical-left wing political violence and the climate of impunity surrounding self-described “anti-fascist” groups.
The victim, a 23-year-old man identified as Quentin, remains in critical condition—and is said to be braindead—following a savage attack that took place on the evening of February 12.
The violence erupted on the margins of a conference held at Sciences Po Lyon featuring Rima Hassan, a European Parliament member aligned with the radical left party La France Insoumise (LFI). It’s worth noting that weeks ago, LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, during a campaign event, said that his party is the party of “The Great Replacement.”
The event, focused on EU relations and the Middle East, was warmly received inside the venue, while tensions simmered outside.
Demonstrators from Collectif Némésis, a nationalist feminist group known for opposing mass immigration and Islamist influence, gathered to protest Hassan’s appearance. The activists unfurled banners criticizing what they describe as the “Islamo-left,” drawing immediate hostility from black clad, masked counter-protesters.
According to various accounts from eye witnesses at the scene, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Female protesters on the nationalist-feminist side were allegedly surrounded, pushed, and physically attacked, with at least one 19-year-old woman reportedly strangled and dragged during the initial confrontation.