France Summons US Ambassador Over Comments on Far-Right Activist’s Death

Paris – French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that he would summon the US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, following remarks about the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, which France described as “interference” in its domestic affairs.

Deranque, 23, died on 12 February after sustaining severe head injuries in a brawl in Lyon. The incident, captured on video showing masked individuals kicking and punching a man on the ground, has sparked outrage across France.

“We are summoning the US ambassador to France because the embassy issued a commentary on this event which concerns the national community. We reject any interference in this event,” Barrot told France Inter.

The dispute was triggered when the US embassy in France reposted a statement from the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, which described the death as the result of left-wing violence. The post warned of “violent radical leftism” and its threat to public safety.

French authorities have charged two individuals with murder, and 11 people in total have been arrested in connection with the attack.

The controversy has also strained France’s relations with Italy, after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed the death was caused by groups linked to left-wing extremism and condemned what she described as “a climate of ideological hatred sweeping several nations.”

This is not the first time Kushner has faced summons from Paris. In August 2025, he was called after criticizing France for what he described as a “lack of sufficient action” against antisemitism.