Lyon (AFP) – Justice authorized Friday at the last minute the holding near Lyon of a conference by LFI deputy Raphaël Arnault, which the prefecture had banned the day before for fear of clashes between his supporters and members of the far right.

Published on: 06/11/2026 - 7:30 p.m.

Taking note of the risk of "confrontation between activists", the Lyon administrative court, however, maintained the ban on any gathering near the Villeurbanne bar where he will speak from 7:00 p.m., in the presence of the rebellious Rhône MP Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi.

In its decision consulted by AFP, the court considers that banning the conference would have "deprived two parliamentarians of their freedom of expression", which is "not necessary for the maintenance of public order".

The prefect of Rhône Etienne Guyot banned the conference on Thursday evening, while far-right activists called for demonstrations against Raphaël Arnault, whose relatives are indicted in the investigation into the death of radical far-right activist Quentin Deranque in February in Lyon.

In a message to the press, the prefecture took note of the court's decision and announced that "a security system best suited to the threat would be deployed."

On "The fascists threaten... don't stay alone, don't give in to provocations and remember to film," he wrote.

The Vaucluse MP is on tour to present his book “Antifascist”. Initially scheduled for this Thursday in Lyon, the meeting was canceled by the sector town hall on which the conference room depended, for "security" reasons, the police being deployed that day on the inter-union mobilization.

"Pretext"

During the summary hearing on Friday afternoon, the counsel for the two deputies, Me Chirinne Ardakani and Louis Pierot, denounced a prefectural decree infringing on freedoms of assembly and expression.

“I ask the court to uphold the fundamental freedoms which are essential,” launched Me Ardakani. “It is up to the State to guarantee this expression of the citizen.”

The prefecture defended “a measure to reconcile freedoms in a particular context”. “What is in question is not the content of the conference,” explained the state representative, “it is the risk of disturbing public order.”

He stressed that "the configuration of the event constitutes exactly the same circumstances as those which led to the death of Quentin Deranque": not the simple presence of LFI parliamentarians, but "the pretext for antagonism between two violent movements".

The 23-year-old activist was beaten to death after a fight between ultra-left and ultra-right activists on February 14 on the sidelines of a conference by LFI MEP Rima Hassan at Sciences Po Lyon.

Fourteen people were indicted for murder or complicity in this affair, including a parliamentary attaché to Raphaël Arnault and a former intern. Some of the suspects belonged to the Young Guard, a now-disbanded anti-fascist movement co-founded by Mr. Arnault.

The MP was interviewed on October 29 in the premises of the anti-terrorist sub-directorate (Sdat) in open hearing, as part of this investigation.

“Raphaël Arnault has no form of responsibility for the facts, however tragic they may be, of February 12, 2026,” recalled Me Ardakani as he left the court. “He is a deputy of the nation. He does not have to defend himself against accusations for which he is not even implicated today in the context of this judicial investigation.”

© 2026 AFP

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