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.
BREAKING:
More than 40 antifa members beat a young French conservative to death in France.
He was on the security staff protecting Collectif Némésis (@Coll_Nemesis), an organisation campaigning for women’s safety.
Antifa killed him.pic.twitter.com/SwIzQk2OIB
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 13, 2026
Quentin, who was part of an informal security detail tasked with protecting the women, intervened as the group attempted to disperse. He and another man were then allegedly followed through nearby streets by a group of masked attackers.
What followed, witnesses say, was a coordinated ambush. The two men were set upon in a quiet area of Lyon’s 5th arrondissement, where Quentin was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked after his head struck the pavement.
Subsequently, emergency services were called shortly before 8 p.m. While one of the victims sustained relatively minor injuries, Quentin collapsed soon after, convulsing at the scene and requiring emergency intubation before being transported to the local hospital.
Doctors later confirmed that Quentin suffered severe brain trauma consistent with a cerebral hemorrhage. His family has since stated that he is “between life and death,” while Collectif Némésis later reported that he had been declared brain-dead.
Notre militante souffre de douleurs à la tête et de nausées suite au choc. Une plainte va être déposée. pic.twitter.com/EsscrJAB2j
— Collectif Némésis (@Coll_Nemesis) February 12, 2026
The Lyon prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into aggravated assault, stating that the circumstances of the attack are still being examined. Authorities have so far refrained from identifying suspects or naming affiliated groups.
However, Collectif Némésis, for its part, has publicly accused Jeune Garde Antifa of carrying out the attack. The organization claims the assailants were masked, equipped with reinforced gloves and tear gas, and acted with clear premeditation.
Lyon’s Green Party mayor, Grégory Doucet, condemned what he described as an “extremely violent brawl,” offering support to the victim’s family while avoiding reference to ideological responsibility. His statement has been criticized by nationalist figures as evasive and morally insufficient.
On the national stage, conservative and nationalist leaders have been far less restrained. Marion Maréchal described the incident as a “lynching by an Antifa commando,” accusing the political establishment of tolerating radical-left violence.
Un jeune homme de 24 ans, a été lynché par un commando antifa alors qu’il assurait la sécurité des filles du @Coll_Nemesis, hier soir à Lyon.
Il est entre la vie et la mort.
Toutes mes pensées et prières vont vers lui et ses proches.
L’impunité judiciaire et la complaisance…
— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) February 13, 2026
Éric Zemmour of the right-wing populist Reconquer party echoed those claims, directly linking the alleged attackers to far-left networks close to LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He warned that such violence is the predictable outcome of years of judicial complacency, violent rhetoric, and ideological denial.
The attack also comes amid growing controversy over the government’s handling of extremist groups. Only days earlier, lawmakers from La France Insoumise publicly opposed efforts to dissolve Jeune Garde, arguing that antifascist organizations are necessary to counter what they label the “far right.”
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