Emmanuel Macron brought together the Ministers of the Interior and Justice as well as the intelligence services on Tuesday morning to discuss "the violent action groups which are rampant and have links with political parties". At the end of the meeting, the government announced initial measures targeting the anti-fascist group the Young Guard, suspected of "reconstitution".

Published on: 02/24/2026 - 4:45 p.m. Modified on: 02/24/2026 - 7:57 p.m.

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Ten days after the death of radical far-right activist Quentin Deranque, the government announced on Tuesday February 24 the first measures targeting the anti-fascist group the Young Guard, suspected of "reconstitution". Several of its “emanations” are also targeted.

Emmanuel Macron gathered in the morning at the Élysée the Ministers of the Interior and Justice, Laurent Nunez and Gérald Darmanin, as well as the intelligence services to discuss "the violent action groups which are rampant and have links with political parties".

This is the government response in parallel with the judicial investigation into the death of the 23-year-old young man, beaten to death by members of the ultra-left in Lyon, in which seven people were indicted for intentional homicide and complicity.

Several suspects are close to the anti-fascist Young Guard, a group founded in 2018 in Lyon by Raphaël Arnault – now a deputy for La France insoumise – and dissolved in June 2025.

Laurent Nunez therefore referred "two days ago" to the Paris prosecutor's office a "file for the reconstitution of the dissolved league of the Young Guard", a participant in the Élysée meeting informed journalists.

“Emanations” of the Young Guard “in at least five territories”

Before the death of Quentin Deranque, the intelligence services were already monitoring "attempts to reconstitute" small groups linked to the dissolved movement "in at least five territories", explained this official. “The extremely serious facts of Lyon” “support” this case, he added.

In addition, the Head of State asked Place Beauvau to launch dissolution procedures against these five identified local "emanations" of the Young Guard, continued this participant, refusing to specify in which territories they operate.

Unrelated to the death of the activist, dissolution procedures had already been initiated against three "ultra-right" and one "ultra-left" structures, which should be completed "in the next two months", according to this source. A source close to the matter told AFP on Monday that two of the targeted ultra-right groups were the Bloc Montpellier and Patria Albiges d'Albi.

24 groups already dissolved since 2017

Since the election of Emmanuel Macron to the Élysée in 2017, 24 groups of the “ultra movement” have been dissolved – 19 to the ultra-right and five to the ultra-left – according to the government, which ensures that it does not favor “one camp over another”.

To (re)readIn France, a far-right terrorist threat on the rise

“We treat them the same way,” insisted the participant, who puts the figure at just over 5,000 people from “all ultra movements combined” who are followed by the services, knowing that “the constellation of ultra-rights is more important than the constellation of ultra-lefts”.

The President of the Republic has been careful since the death of Quentin Deranque to denounce political violence whether it comes from "extreme left" or "extreme right" movements, calling on all "extremes" to "clean up" their ranks.

“Concern” around the municipal campaign

While the condemnations focused on the Young Guard, and La France insoumise (LFI) is singled out by a large part of the political class for its links with this group, the left-wing deputy François Ruffin wrote to the Minister of the Interior to ask him to dissolve the Némésis collective, an identity group close to the far right which claims to be feminist.

Questioned on this subject, the participant in the meeting around Emmanuel Macron limited himself to responding that the administration is committed to documenting "the acts of violence" of "all structures", to then determine possible dissolution procedures.

The head of state also expressed his "concern" about possible violence punctuating the campaign for the municipal elections in March, and asked to ensure that it "takes place peacefully".

“Crowding” of universities and unions

According to this source, since the death of the young activist, “22 LFI parliamentary offices have been degraded”. The fear concerns in particular possible "counter-demonstrations" including "ultra" activists around meetings of rebels or the National Rally.

Read also Attacked after the death of Quentin Deranque, LFI continues its campaign near Lyon “vigilantly”

The question of "great porosities" between "some of these ultra movements" of the left or right and the institutions of civil society was finally examined "without any taboo", according to this participant. No measure has been announced in this regard, but the executive is alarmed to see "more and more ultra movements infiltrating" universities or unions.

With AFP

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