A far-left member of France’s National Assembly, who also served as a spokesman for a prominent Antifa organization in Lyon, has been permanently convicted of aggravated assault, according to French court records.
Raphaël Arnault, a lawmaker with the leftist La France Insoumise (LFI) party and former spokesman for the violent Antifa group La Jeune Garde Antifasciste (“The Young Anti-Fascist Guard”), was initially convicted in 2022.
He was found guilty of participating in a group assault targeting an individual they believed to be aligned with a right-wing organization.
The court issued a four-month suspended sentence, later affirmed after Arnault withdrew his appeal in March 2025, making the conviction final.
Details of the Assault
According to testimony cited in Le Figaro and Breitbart News, the victim, identified as Geoffrey L., was approached by six far-left activists who surrounded him on the street.
The leftist mob demanded that the victim unlock his phone.
When he refused, the group allegedly attacked him, leaving him with an arm injury.
Geoffrey identified Arnault as one of the participants in the assault.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Arnault was ordered to pay €1,600 in damages.
During court proceedings, Arnault attempted to justify the attack.
He claimed he and other activists were “fed up” with individuals they said targeted minorities.
However, the court rejected the defense.
Background on the Antifa Group
La Jeune Garde Antifasciste, which Arnault co-founded in 2018, positioned itself as a “street-level” counterforce to right-wing groups.
Its activities expanded to major cities including Paris, Lille, and Strasbourg, focusing on direct confrontations, “physical defense” operations, and public actions against individuals or groups labeled as far-right.
French authorities have formally classified the organization as an ultra-left extremist group, linking it to at least nine violent incidents, including targeted attacks on perceived political opponents.
On June 12, 2025, the French Council of Ministers issued a decree formally dissolving the organization.
That decision is now under appeal.
Political Fallout
Despite Arnault being deemed a national security concern by French intelligence services, his political career continued.
LFI backed his candidacy for the National Assembly, and he won his election in 2024, representing Vaucluse’s 1st constituency, underscoring tensions inside France over extremism and political violence.
U.S. Response to International Antifa Activity
Arnault’s conviction comes as the United States intensifies scrutiny of Antifa networks in Europe.
On November 13, the U.S. State Department designated four European Antifa organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
Among them is Antifa-OST, a German group linked to several violent attacks.
The designation marks the first time the U.S. has applied FTO status to Antifa-aligned organizations abroad.
READ MORE – Elon Musk: ‘Way More Than $100 Million’ in Taxpayer Money Funneled to Antifa
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