A conservative activist has died after being beaten by a group of rioters during a protest in France.
The activist, known only as 23-year-old Quentin, suffered multiple severe blows to the head in Lyon on Thursday.
In footage from the scene obtained by French broadcaster TF1, three young men can be seen lying on the pavement being beaten by several individuals, while a cry of terror can be heard.
Two of them escape – but the third, identified as Quentin, remains motionless on the ground.
Further videos show several more of the attackers walking past the victim, leaving him on the ground.
He was declared dead by traumatic brain injury on Saturday, with Lyon prosecutors adding that an investigation had been opened into suspected aggravated manslaughter.
Quentin, a mathematics student, had been providing security at a protest against the appearance of left-wing MEP Rima Hassan at the Lyon branch of Sciences Po university.
According to the right-wing Nemesis collective campaign group, Quentin was part of its security team.
The family’s lawyer said Quentin was attacked by “organised and trained individuals, vastly superior in number and armed, some with their faces masked”.
Footage from the scene showed several masked people kicking and punching a man on the street
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TF1
Nemesis were protesting against Ms Hassan – who alongside Greta Thunberg was part of the Gaza “Freedom Flotilla“, a fleet of boats which sailed to the Middle East before being swiftly turned around by Israel.
It went on to blame members of a local anti-fascist organisation, which was banned by the government in June, for Quentin’s death.
Ms Hassan’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party had its offices vandalised in several regions of France following the incident.
“Last night, our premises and offices were attacked all over the country after Retailleau and Le Pen made a call, covering up and repeating baseless accusations against the rebels by exploiting the tragedy in Lyon,” said Jean-Luc Melenchon, LFI founder and leader.
Quentin had been providing security at a protest against the appearance of left-wing MEP Rima Hassan (pictured)
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GETTY
Marine Le Pen offered her sympathies to Quentin’s family
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REUTERSMs Hassan condemned the attack – and said her security detail was not involved.
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen has since given her commiserations to Quentin’s family.
After giving her sympathies, she said the “barbarians responsible for this lynching” should be brought to justice.
She added: “It will be for justice to judge and condemn with the utmost severity this criminal act of unprecedented violence.”
Emmanuel Macron called for ‘calm, restraint and respect’
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GETTY
In the aftermath of the incident, France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told authorities to increase vigilance around political gatherings and campaign offices.
President Emmanuel Macron said: “In the Republic, no cause, no ideology will ever justify killing.
“On the contrary, the very purpose of our institutions is to civilize debates and protect the free expression of arguments.
“Pursuing, bringing to justice and convicting the perpetrators of this infamy is essential. The hatred that kills has no place among us.
“I call for calm, restraint and respect.”
