Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 21, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 21, 2026
President Emmanuel Macron urged calm before rallies for slain activist Quentin Deranque. The largest march is at 3 p.m. in Lyon under heavy security amid fears of clashes.
PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm ahead of rallies planned on Saturday in memory of a far-right activist killed last week.
He said that he would hold a meeting next week with the prime minister and relevant ministers on violent groups.
"In the Republic, no violence is legitimate. In the Republic, only Republican forces can act because they protect the Republican order. There is no place for militias," Macron said at the opening of the annual agricultural salon on Saturday. He said that the government was on alert to ensure that everything goes well at the marches later on Saturday.
The marches are in memory of Quentin Deranque, 23, who was beaten to death in a fight that was caught on camera and shocked the nation. Police are concerned the marches could turn violent, with clashes between opposing groups.
The largest march is expected at 3 p.m. in Lyon, the city where Deranque was killed and where there is a concentration of far-right and antifascist groups. The interior ministry estimates that between 2,000 and 3,000 people will attend. There are smaller marches planned in a number of other French towns.
(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan)
French President Emmanuel Macron urged calm ahead of rallies for Quentin Deranque, a far-right activist killed in Lyon, as authorities brace for potential clashes.
The largest rally is planned in Lyon at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, with an estimated 2,000–3,000 participants and significant police presence.
Macron condemned political violence, said only Republican forces can act, and announced a meeting next week with ministers to address violent groups.
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