France has summoned U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner over comments from the Trump administration over the alleged Antifa mob killing of a conservative student in Lyon earlier this month.
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot on Sunday condemned comments from the U.S. Embassy and top diplomats concerning the death of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque, who was suffered catastrophic brain injury after allegedly being attacked by members of a banned Antifa cell in Lyon.
So far, seven people have been charged in connection to the attack, including two former employees of far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) MP Raphaël Arnault, the founder of the banned Young Guard Antifa cell.
In response, the U.S. Embassy wrote on Friday: “The information, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, according to which Quentin Deranque would have been killed by far-left militants, should concern us all.
“Violent left-wing extremism is on the rise, and its role in the death of Quentin Deranque demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety. We will continue to follow the situation and hope that the perpetrators of these acts of violence are brought to justice.”
U.S Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers added: “Democracy rests on a basic bargain: you get to bring any viewpoint to the public square, and nobody gets to kill you for it.
“This is why we treat political violence — terrorism — so harshly. Once you decide to kill people for their opinions instead of persuade them, you’ve opted out of civilization. We will continue to watch this case.”
The comments apparently angered Paris, with Minister Barrot responding per Le Figaro: “We will summon the United States ambassador to France, since the United States Embassy in France made a comment on this tragedy… which concerns the national community.”
The top diplomat added that France “refuses any exploitation of this tragedy… for political ends,” adding that Paris does not need “lessons to learn regarding violence, particularly from the reactionary international community.”
The curt response mirrors that given by French President Emmanuel Macron over comments made by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said earlier this week: “The death of a young man in his early twenties, attacked by groups linked to left-wing extremism and overwhelmed by a climate of ideological hatred that spans several countries, is a wound for the whole of Europe.
“No political idea, no ideological opposition can justify violence or turn confrontation into physical aggression. When hatred and violence take the place of dialogue, democracy always loses.”
Snapping back, Macron said that Meloni should not be “commenting on what is happening in other countries” adding: “Let everyone stay at home and the sheep will be well looked after.”
The Trump administration has taken a keen interest in combatting far-left extremism in Europe, including the designation of four Antifa cells on the continent as terrorist organisations in November.
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