Scroll To Top
Crime

WATCH: Slain French Activist Marched Against Homophobia

WATCH: Slain French Activist Marched Against Homophobia

Clement-meric-homophobia-killsx400

Clement Meric, the young Frenchman killed by skinheads this week, had been active in the gay rights cause.

trudestress

Clement Meric, the French college student who died after being beaten by a group of skinheads in Paris this week, was active in the cause of LGBT rights -- a video of a demonstration in April shows him marching behind a banner reading "Homophobia Kills."

Meric was involved in a confrontation with the skinheads Wednesday night in the heart of Paris, in which he was beaten severely. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of head injuries and was pronounced dead yesterday. One far-right activist in France blamed his death on same-sex marriage, which the nation's Parliament recently voted to legalize.

Meric was a member of an organization called Anti-Fascist Action, and he campaigned against racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination, Reuters reports. He marched with the "Homophobia Kills" banner in an April 17 demonstration countering anti-marriage equality activists; see video below.

A crowd of hundreds gathered in tribute to Meric last night near the site of the attack, and there were also vigils at his university, Sciences Po, which is located in Paris's Latin Quarter, and in other French cities.

In Toulouse, a city in southern France, officials rescinded permission for a rally of right-wing youth Saturday evening, with police citing a "serious risk of public disorder," according to Reuters. Leftist youth activists plan to rally in the city during the day.

trudestress
Advocate Channel - The Pride StoreOut / Advocate Magazine - Fellow Travelers & Jamie Lee Curtis

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.