Eleven held in France over death of far-right activist

In France, 11 people, including the assistant of a far-right MP, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the murder of a far-right activist.

Shortly after the announcement, the headquarters of the far-left France Indomitable (LFI) party in Paris received a bomb threat and had to be evacuated until all was clear when police secured the scene.

Far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23, died on Saturday after being beaten by far-left activists outside a conference center in Lyon where LFI member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan was speaking.

Videos of the conflict were shared widely on social media. Hassan and other members of the LFI condemned the murder.

Lyon prosecutor’s office, which launched a murder investigation, said that 11 suspects have been detained so far. These include an aide to LFI MP Raphael Arnault, who said on Tuesday that the aide had “stopped all parliamentary work”.

“It is now up to the investigation to determine responsibility,” Arnault said on X.

Both the hard left and the far right are capitalizing on frustration with the centrist minority government ahead of next month’s local elections and a presidential election that will take place in a highly polarized environment.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, LFI’s national coordinator Manuel Bompard said his party was in no way responsible for Deranque’s death and now felt threatened.

Jordan Bardella, party chairman of the far-right National Rally, accused LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon of opening “the doors of the National Assembly to presumed murderers.”