In a stifling political climate where the Assemblée nationale holds a minute of silence for a neo-fascist activist, the stands of the Stade Vélodrome chose instead to pay tribute to the many victims of the far right – among them Ibrahim Ali, a son of Marseille.
The visit of Olympique Lyonnais to Olympique de Marseille could hardly have come at a more charged moment. Two weeks after the death of Quentin Deranque, following a clash with an antifascist group in the streets of Lyon, mainstream media have continued a methodical campaign to demonize the radical left. Their rhetoric defies common sense: antifascists, we are told, are the “new fascists”. With tense municipal elections just days away, this narrative has translated into repeated calls from the political establishment to “isolate La France Insoumise”, the left-wing party.
The showdown between OM and OL on Sunday, March 1, at the Vélodrome could not escape this context. The rivalry between the clubs’ supporters also carries a political dimension. Marseille’s ultras are known for their antiracist commitments, while sections of Lyon’s stands have long been associated with violent far-right groups. Both Marseille ends had prepared striking displays for the occasion.
In the “virage sud” (south curve), home to the South Winners (SW87), banners bore the first names of several victims of racist, fascist, or antisemitic hatred: Clément Méric, Federico Martin Aramburu, Ilan Halimi, Angela Rostas, and Ibrahim Ali.
The latter remains a name etched in Marseille’s memory. Ibrahim Ali, a teenager of Comorian origin, was shot dead on February 21, 1995, by poster activists from the Front National. The killing sent shockwaves through the city. In the “virage nord” (north curve) – known as the “virage Depé” – the group Marseille Trop Puissant (MTP) also paid tribute with a tifo featuring a portrait of Ibrahim Ali alongside the antifascist emblem. A few meters below, a banner read: “31 years on, Marseille has not forgotten you.”
In the face of the widely relayed “anti-antifascist” offensive championed by much of the political class, the Vélodrome stands offered a stark reminder: deadly violence has consistently come from the far right. From Brahim Bouarram – thrown into the Seine on May 1, 1995, by skinheads on the sidelines of a Front National rally honoring Joan of Arc – to Djamel Bendjaballah and Hichem Miraoui, murdered by followers of racist and xenophobic ideologies. Sociologist Isabelle Sommier has identified eight deaths directly attributable to various radical right movements since 2022. Over the past four decades, 90 percent of killings linked to political activism in France have been carried out by members of the far right.
Leave a Reply