France's Macron calls for calm ahead of march for far-right activist killed last week

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.  Read full story French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to members of the media as he attends the opening day and inauguration of the 62nd International Agricultural Fair (Salon de l'Agriculture) at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/Pool 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 ofQuentin 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) Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates! Report a mistake What is the issue about? Spelling and grammatical error Factually incorrect Story is irrelevant This field is mandatory. Please provide details of the report. Email (optional) Please enter valid email. Report issue Cancel Invalid captcha response. Please re-try again. Thank you for your report!