Quentin D., a 23-year-old student close to nationalist circles, died on Saturday, February 14, 2026, from injuries sustained in a violent assault Thursday evening in Lyon, during a conference by LFI MEP Rima Hassan. The incident, involving antifascist militants according to multiple sources, has sparked intense political reactions, with unanimous condemnations of violence and mutual accusations between far-right and far-left groups. An investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators.
On February 13, 2026, during a conference by Rima Hassan at the Institut d'études politiques (IEP) in Lyon on EU-Middle East relations, Quentin D., a 23-year-old mathematics student and sympathizer of nationalist groups like Némésis and Audace, was voluntarily providing security for a protest against the event. According to the Némésis collective, militants were assaulted, leading to a chase by about thirty antifascist militants. Quentin was lynched, his head hitting the ground before repeated kicks, as shown in a video released by the group.
Paramedics rescued him around 7:40 p.m. on quai Fulchiron, 2 km from the IEP, along with another injured person. Hospitalized, he died Saturday evening. The Lyon prosecutor's office opened an investigation for "aggravated deadly blows," including circumstances like assembly, weapon use, and masked faces. Several significant testimonies have been gathered, with a press conference scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m.
The assailants remain unidentified, but Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez points to the ultraleft and possibly the Jeune Garde, an antifascist group dissolved in 2025. Némésis accuses an LFI parliamentary collaborator, who firmly denies involvement. Rima Hassan and La France insoumise (LFI) state their security service was not involved and never resorts to violence.
Politically, Emmanuel Macron condemned an "unprecedented outpouring of violence," stating: "In the Republic, no cause, no ideology will ever justify killing." Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin attributes the "ignoble drama" to the "ultraleft" and LFI's "complacency" toward political violence. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, after initial silence, expressed LFI's "shock, empathy, and compassion," insisting: "We are the ones being aggressed, meeting after meeting" and denying any connection.
A nationalist rally took place Sunday at the Sorbonne in Paris, with a banner reading "Antifas assassins, justice for Quentin." In Lyon, municipal campaigns were suspended by several candidates, including Grégory Doucet, who called the event "unacceptable."
