in Nantes, tribute to the younger man and anti-fascist “counter-rally” | EUROtoday

A tribute to the nationalist activist Quentin Deranque was held on Wednesday February 18 within the night, on the sq. in entrance of a church in Nantes, shortly after a “counter-rally” anti-fascist in one other district of the town, rapidly interrupted by the police.

The Loire-Atlantique prefecture had earlier within the day banned all demonstrations till Thursday inside a fringe – not together with the place of the tribute – to keep away from clashes between individuals and anti-fascist counter-protesters. Opposite the Saint-Donatien basilica, close to a statue of Joan of Arc, not less than 150 folks paid tribute to Quentin Deranque on the name of the Némésis identification collective.

The 23-year-old younger man was hit Thursday night by a number of hooded folks, on the sidelines of a convention by LFI MEP Rima Hassan at Sciences Po Lyon, the place he had come to make sure the safety of activists from this collective. A “pitched battle” was triggered between “members of the ultra-left and the ultra-right”in accordance with a supply near the case, following which the younger man discovered himself remoted. Eleven folks have been arrested, together with the parliamentary assistant of an LFI deputy.

“Counter-rally”

“Quentin loved his country and its values, the far left killed him for that”stated Mélissa, spokesperson for the Némésis collective in Nantes, to the loudspeaker, who didn’t want to give her final title. A minute of silence was noticed, earlier than a prayer led by an abbot of the Nantes traditionalist chapel of Christ the King. Young males, some masked, have been positioned on the entrances to the sq. the place the tribute befell.

Several dozen folks gathered for a “counter-rally” a bit of earlier within the night on the decision specifically from “the anti-fascist general assembly of Nantes” on the sting of the perimeter prohibited to demonstrations, chanting “Here, we don’t shame the Nazis”. They have been rapidly interrupted by the massive police power deployed on website.

The prefecture had demarcated a fringe prohibiting demonstrations so as, in accordance with it, to keep away from “possible clashes between participants in the rally declared entitled “Tribute to Quentin” (…) more likely to carry collectively sure profiles from the ultra-right, and the individuals of a counter-demonstration introduced by the Nantes anti-fascist scholar motion, not declared to the prefecture”specifies the prefecture. The authorities highlighted “a local context marked by clashes between ultra-left and ultra-right activists”.

Far-right union

Tuesday, the prefect of Haute-Garonne had banned “the protest rallies” within the metropolis middle of Toulouse, till midnight this night. A gathering had been declared for 7:30 p.m. in entrance of the courthouse, in accordance with a press launch from the prefect reported by France Bleu Occitanie.

With the identical goal of “pay homage to Quentin”the Lille part of Action Française, supported by the scholar union La Cocarde – two far-right actions – introduced on Tuesday on its social networks a rally deliberate for Wednesday at 7 p.m., Place Rihour in Lille. According to The Voice of the Norththe organizers stated that they had contacted the prefecture, which had not banned the occasion on Tuesday afternoon.

The identical scholar union additionally calls for “Justice for Quentin” in Rouen, the place La Cocarde invitations a rally on Thursday February 19 in entrance of the town’s courthouse, in accordance with a press launch revealed on social networks by the Rouen part of the scholar union. At this stage, different gatherings are deliberate till Sunday in a number of cities in France comparable to Nice, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.