Far-right extremists arrested after violent attack at Paris migrant association

French police have arrested six far-right extremists following a violent attack on a man near a cultural association for migrant workers in Paris.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show around twenty masked individuals dressed in black storming the courtyard of a building in Paris’ 10th arrondissement on Sunday afternoon.

The attack happened just around 5.20pm outside the Cultural Association of Turkish Immigrant Workers (ACTIT), where a socialist youth group, Young Struggle France, was hosting a screening of a sinema, according to local media.

The police said the assailants were armed with broken bottles.

Footage from the attack shows a man dressed in blue being beaten by multiple assailants before they fled the scene.

The victim, a 30-year-old man, suffered multiple injuries, including a serious wound that may have been inflicted with a blade, the police said.

He was rushed to hospital, where his condition was initially critical but later stabilised, Le Parisien reported. 

While most of the attackers managed to escape, six suspects were arrested at a nearby metro station, the police confirmed.

A judicial investigation has been launched on charges of attempted homicide, with prosecutors confirming that all the detainees are linked to radical far-right groups.

Political and public reactions

The incident has sparked outrage among politicians and activist groups.

“This brutal attack must be firmly condemned, and those responsible must face justice,” trade union leader Sophie Binet said on social media, adding that the victim was an activist in her union.

The ACTIT described the assault as a deliberate attempt to silence migrant workers and young anti-fascist activists. 

“We demand that the perpetrators be held accountable and that institutions that failed to prevent this attack be investigated,” the group said on Facebook.

The attack has revived memories of a deadly shooting two years ago, which took place just 350 metres from the scene of Sunday’s incident.

Young Struggle France has called for a demonstration against far-right violence on Monday evening outside Gare de l’Est, a nearby train station.

“We want to engage in the fight against these new fascist movements, which represent a serious threat to our future,” the socialist youth group said on Instagram.