A group of skinheads attacked a French far-left activist in the heart
of Paris’ shopping district, leaving the young man brain-dead in the
hospital Thursday, officials said, in an attack that raised fears of
increased far-right violence.
Political tensions are high in
France after months of protests against legalizing gay marriage that
sometimes ended with troublemakers from the extreme right clashing with
police.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said a fight broke out
Wednesday evening between two groups of young people in a pedestrian
street just steps away from the famous Printemps department store. At
one point, the 19-year-old leftist was beaten by several skinheads,
according to Valls, a widely respected, center-leaning member of
President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government.
No suspects
have been arrested, and Valls told reporters at the scene of the attack -
a crowded street with cafes and chain stores - that finding them is the
top priority.
It was unclear how the fight developed and how many people were involved.
"There is no place for small neo-Nazi groups whose enemy is the nation," he said. "A group of the extreme right is at the heart of this assassination. There is a discourse of hate and a climate that favors this discourse. We need to pay attention to this because they threaten our values."
The Party of the Left said Meric, one of its activists, was declared brain dead. The party, one of several small political movements on France’s vocal and active far left, called for demonstrations in Paris on Wednesday against violence by groups on the extreme right.
The victim, Clement Meric, is a student at Sciences Po, one of France’s most prestigious universities, according to the school.
1 comMENTS:
leftists are brain dead to begin with. "neonazis" as they like to call us are the sole protectors of the nation and real values.
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