Far-right group defies curfew in Lyon

More than 100 individuals ignored a curfew on Monday evening in Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, gathering along rue Victor Hugo to chant nationalist slogans. The group, identified as far-right militants, carried a French flag adorned with a celtic cross and a banner reading « Anti-casseurs Lyon. »

Group linked to previous demonstration

The group had previously been present at a demonstration in place Bellecour, where they supported local merchants who had been looted two days earlier. This gathering occurred on the sidelines of the October 17 demonstration, which was itself a response to widespread unrest in France.

Notable figure among participants

A notable figure in the group was Renaud Mannheim, a former leader of the local section of Blood & Honour, an international network of neo-Nazi music. Mannheim is also a long-time regular at the tribunes of Olympique Lyonnais (OL), a professional football club based in Lyon.

Mannheim’s far-right affiliations

Mannheim was associated with the « Bunker Korps, » a local neo-Nazi group he frequented in the early 2010s near the Gerland stadium. He later became connected with « South Side Lyon, » a group that brings together ultras from the south stand of the Décines-Charpieu stadium, where OL has been playing for ten years.

Historical ties between far-right and football

Along with others, Mannheim has embodied the historical link between the far-right in Lyon and certain supporter groups of OL. Although the stands in Lyon are now mostly apolitical, they continue to be associated with far-right elements in some contexts.