NOS Nieuws•
The death of a 23-year-old man following a violent assault has prompted calls for calm from French President Macron. The man sustained severe brain injuries on Thursday and succumbed to them, as announced by the French justice system last night.
The assault occurred near a conference where a politician from the far-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) was speaking. The far-right women’s group Collectif Némésis was reportedly present “on the fringes” of the event, according to French media. The group states its mission is to combat violence against women by immigrants.
Unclear Circumstances
The identity of those responsible for the assault remains unknown. Conflicting accounts of the events have emerged. According to a reconstruction by news channel TF1, members of Némésis disrupted the conference. The group claims they were attacked by antifascist activists from Lyon, with a member of LFI similarly involved. A judicial investigation has been launched.
French media reports indicate the victim was associated with Némésis and involved in the group’s security detail. However, his family states the student “was neither a guard nor a member of a security service” and had no criminal record.
The family describes the death as a murder and a “premeditated ambush” carried out by organized and trained individuals who were in the majority. They allege the perpetrators were armed, with some wearing masks.
Following Thursday’s incident, offices of LFI were vandalized in several regions of France.
President Macron has expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and condemned the attack. He stated that in France, “no cause, no ideology will ever justify murder” and called for calm, restraint, and respect.
