French President Emmanuel Macron appealed on Saturday for cooler heads to prevail ahead of a rally for a far-right activist whose killing, blamed on the hard left, has put the country on edge.
Macron also said his government would hold a meeting to discuss “violent action groups” in the wake of the fatal beating of Quentin Deranque, which has ignited tensions between the left and right ahead of the 2027 presidential vote.
The 23-year-old died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in the southeastern city of Lyon last week.
Speaking at a farming trade fair in Paris, Macron urged “everyone to remain” calm ahead of the rally for Deranque in Lyon, which is set to go ahead under high security later on Saturday despite Lyon’s left-wing green mayor asking the state to ban it.
“In the Republic, no violence is legitimate,” said Macron, who will be unable to contest next year’s presidential election after hitting the two-term limit. “There is no place for militias, no matter where they come from.”
The rally is expected to be attended by 2,000 to 3,000 people, and likely to see counter-protesters from the hard left.
