Podcast Summary: "The Afterlives of Quentin Deranque, Pt. 2"
Podcast: It Could Happen Here (Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts)
Date: May 5, 2026
Hosts/Panel: James Stout, Molly, Vic
Episode Overview
This episode continues the exploration of Quentin Deranque, a far-right activist in France whose violent death during a rally has since been seized upon by fascist and nationalist groups attempting to cast him as a martyr. The hosts discuss the events surrounding the scuffle that led to Deranque’s injuries and death, analyze the weaponization of martyrdom in right-wing circles, and reflect on the cultural rituals that follow such deaths—especially the efforts to use them to inspire further violence and intimidation. They also examine the ripple effects in the Netherlands, where far-right groups attempted a politically charged vigil.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Event: The Death of Quentin Deranque
- Setting: Quentin was providing "security" at a Nemesis rally when fights broke out between antifascists and "brownshirts."
- Who Started It?: Both sides blame the other; left-leaning media finds it credible that fascists initiated violence due to photographic evidence of weapons.
- James (02:16): "I found an independent, while left leaning media website, Contrail... with multiple videos and photos of the far right being there with weapons including iron bars, crutches, motorcycle helmets, and at least one smoke grenade.”
- Weapons as ‘Everyday’ Objects: Fascists often use plausibly deniable weapons (pipes, helmets, flagpoles).
- Molly (03:36): “So after you use it as a weapon, it doesn't look like premeditation because I just had this... I don't know why you would just have a whole pipe. No, he was on his way to do some plumbing.”
- Photographic Evidence: The only confirmed public photo of Quentin comes from his family’s lawyer, complicating attempts to identify him in rally footage.
2. Violence Dynamics and Aftermath
- Scale of the Fight: It was a “melee,” not a one-sided attack—group-on-group violence lasting several minutes.
- James (08:02): “The fighting went on for like five minutes, which is a long time for a street fight.”
- Molly (08:11): “That's a lot of minutes to be fighting.”
- Deranque’s Injuries and Isolation: After the fight, Quentin walked over a kilometer while heavily injured instead of accepting help, and died later.
- Molly (10:12): “Where were his friends that he walked off alone?... So these people want to make him a martyr, but like they're the ones that let him die.”
- James (12:06): “I find it sad because it’s a death that may have been preventable with proper medical intervention, also with friends that should have backed him.”
3. Martyrdom and Political Co-optation
- Instrumentalizing Death: Far-right groups immediately attempted to use Quentin’s story as a rallying point; comparisons are made to Nazis’ “Horst Wessel” and attempts to create American right-wing martyrs.
- Vic (12:28): “He’s only useful to them when he’s fucking dead.”
- Molly (13:11): “The right is constantly trying to create a Horst Wessel, and it just kind of never works.”
- Failed Martyr Creation: Right-wing groups often fail to maintain martyrs in public consciousness—even cases viewed as perfect for the role (e.g., Ashley Babbitt, Lavoy Finicum, etc.) fade quickly.
- Molly (31:13): “Most of the right wing martyrs are people who died in prison or were killed by the police. We don’t have a lot of sort of street deaths like this.”
- Vic (33:18): “But in order to have a martyr, that person needs to have had value in their eyes in the first place. And I think that’s what's missing.”
4. The Utrecht Vigil and Dutch Far-Right Rituals
- Intimidation Under the Guise of Mourning: Far-right network “Defend Netherlands” organizes a vigil at the Utrecht Antifa Center (ACU), seen as an intimidation tactic rather than a genuine memorial.
- James (19:21): “There’s absolutely no reason to travel to Utrecht to hold that vigil other than to being threatening and intimidating.”
- Symbolic Appropriation and Revisionism: The group uses historical Dutch flags associated with WWII-era collaborators, and even brands them with Dutch East India Company logos—a “loud dog whistle.”
- James (24:09): “They’ve also added a VOC logo from the Dutch East India Company onto the flag.”
- Vic (25:22): “This is what you get from, like, European ultra nationalism is these incredibly niche racism.”
- Demonstration Outcome: Minimal violence occurred; larger antifascist turnout.
- James (38:55): “At the demonstration, the Nazis were outnumbered, like three to one, maybe more.”
5. Media Manipulation and Propaganda
- Imagery Falsification: A.I.-generated or idealized images of Quentin were used on banners, whitewashing his features for propaganda impact.
- Molly (21:30): “If I ever get murdered and you’re holding a rally for my memory, use a real fucking picture of me.”
- Vic (22:08): “Old school German propaganda of, like, an ‘Aryan specimen,’ where this was, like, a skinny little guy who's half Hispanic.”
6. Martyr Politics: Why It Fails on the Right
- Lack of Empathy or Genuine Connection: Right-wing movements typically have little personal attachment to the supposed martyr, undermining authenticity.
- James (33:19): “In order to have a martyr, that person needs to have had value to them in the first place… and I think that’s what’s missing.”
- Contrast to Left-Wing Martyrs: Leftist martyrs tend to be seen as “blameless victims,” which resonates more persuasively; right-wing deaths often lack this innocence.
- Molly (34:04): “They’re blameless. If you got into a fight at a Nazi rally… it’s not a blameless death.”
7. Aftershocks, Legal Action, and Community Impact
- Retaliation Attempts: After the Utrecht vigil, a smoke bomb was thrown into the ACU community center.
- James (28:38): “The day after the rally there was an unknown person who threw a smoke bomb inside the aku.”
- Community Response: Antifascist turnout vastly exceeded the fascist presence, and community fundraising to repair damage is ongoing.
- James (38:41): “There is a donate link for the AKU because it's also entirely volunteer run... you can find the donate link to support the local community center.”
Notable Quotes (with Timestamps and Attribution)
- On the use of plausible weapons:
- Molly (03:36): “So after you use it as a weapon, it doesn't look like premeditation because I just had this...”
- On martyrdom and fascist opportunism:
- Vic (12:28): “He’s only useful to them when he’s fucking dead.”
- Molly (13:11): “The right is constantly trying to create a Horst Wessel, and it just kind of never works.”
- On the vigil as intimidation:
- James (19:21): “There’s absolutely no reason to travel to Utrecht to hold that vigil other than to being threatening and intimidating.”
- On imagery and propaganda:
- Molly (21:30): “If I ever get murdered and you’re holding a rally for my memory, use a real fucking picture of me.”
- On the futility of fascist martyrdom:
- James (33:19): “In order to have a martyr, that person needs to have had value in their eyes in the first place. And I think that’s what's missing.”
Important Timestamps
- [02:16] Contrail reporting; evidence fascists brought weapons
- [05:14] Limited photographic evidence of Quentin at the event
- [08:02] Duration and scale of the fight
- [10:12] Quentin’s isolation post-injury and questions around responsibility
- [12:28] Discussion of exploitation of Quentin’s death
- [19:21] Utrecht vigil described as intimidation
- [21:30] “Martyr” banners use AI-generated, idealized images
- [28:38] Post-vigil smoke bomb attack
- [38:41] ACU community fundraising appeal
Memorable/Funny Moments
- Joking about everyday items as weapons (“I was on my way to break big rocks into small rocks.” — Molly, 04:49)
- Satirical takes on nationalist nostalgia for the Dutch East India Company:
- Vic (24:22): “I’m a monarchist for spice trading.”
- James (26:13): “You know, they will get scurvy because they want to be eating fruit.”
- Molly’s campaign for people to pre-select their “martyr photo” (21:34)
Summary Flow
The episode traces the immediate context of Quentin Deranque’s death, peeling back media narratives, the reality of violent rallies, and the ways far-right groups weaponize such deaths for propaganda and intimidation (with a failed attempt to stoke nationalist fervor in the Netherlands). The hosts debunk the right’s attempts at creating enduring martyrs, contrasting it with historical left-wing movements, and contextualize the rituals, performances, and absurdities that follow in modern fascist culture.
For listeners wanting more on the ACU or antifascist organizing, see the episode show notes for donation links.
End of summary.
