PARIS: The French foreign ministry will summon the US ambassador to Paris over comments made by the Trump administration about the killing of a French far-right activist blamed on the hard left, France's top diplomat said on Sunday. The death of Quentin Deranque has put France on edge, igniting tensions between the left and right ahead of a 2027 presidential vote. It has also provoked international reactions, with US President Donald Trump's right-wing administration on Friday denouncing what it called "terrorism" in France.
"We are going to summon the United States ambassador to France, since the US embassy in France commented on this tragedy ... which concerns the national community," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French media outlets Le Monde, France Inter and France Info. "We reject any attempt to use this tragedy ... for political purposes," he added. The foreign ministry did not say when ambassador Charles Kushner — the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner — would be summoned. Deranque, 23, died from head injuries following clashes between radical-left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a February 12 demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon.
The State Department's bureau of counter-terrorism separately posted: "Violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque's death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety" — a post shared in French by the US embassy account. Deranque's killing has also caused a diplomatic feud between France and Italy, whose right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has warm ties with Trump. She called the killing of Deranque "a wound for all of Europe," prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to criticise her for speaking out on French domestic affairs. Six men suspected of involvement in the fatal assault have been charged over the killing, while a parliamentary assistant to a radical left-wing MP has also been charged with complicity.
Thousands of people marched in southeastern France on Saturday under heavy security in tribute to a far-right activist whose killing, blamed on the hard left, has put the country on edge. The crowd — many wearing black and some covering their lower faces with masks — marched through the city of Lyon carrying flowers and placards bearing pictures of Quentin Deranque and the words, "justice for Quentin" and "the extreme left kills". The 23-year-old died from head injuries following clashes between radical left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon last week.
The authorities had deployed heavy security, including drones, fearing further clashes at the event that saw at least 3,200 people attend, according to local officials. Hours before the gathering, French President Emmanuel Macron had urged "everyone to remain" calm. He said the government would meet next week to discuss "violent action groups" in the wake of the fatal beating, which has ignited tensions between the left and right ahead of the 2027 presidential vote.
"In the Republic, no violence is legitimate," said Macron, who will be unable to contest next year's election after hitting the two-term limit. The march went ahead without clashes, although one person threw an egg from a building, and police said another person was detained for carrying a knife and hammer. More arrests are possible as police investigate suspects behind Nazi salutes, racist slurs and homophobic insults made during the procession and caught on video shared online, the local prefecture said. Some residents living along the route hung signs from their windows reading "Lyon is antifa" or "Love is greater than hate". — AFP
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