After a vicious fight with a gang of neo-Nazis in the middle of Paris on Wednesday, a 19-year-old named Clement Meric was left braindead. Police confirm that he died in the hospital yesterday.

Meric was a student at the prestigious Sciences Po university in Paris as well as a left-wing activist. On Wednesday night, he was part of a clash of two youth groups on the crowded streets in central Paris. Meric was part of a vocal and powerful group called Party of the Left, while the other group is reported to have a right-wing, neo-Nazi agenda. The fight apparently started when Meric's group of friends, shopping in the district, began to make fun of the skinhead's clothing. Reports say the skinheads included three men and one woman, all with shaved heads and swastika tattoos.

Police says that eight people have been targeted for questioning regarding Meric's death. Ties to neo-Nazi affiliations are being explored. The report noted that the final, fatal blow administered to Meric by a 20-year-old was not intended to kill.

This violent clash has sparked anger across the country. Over 15,000 angered protesters assembled throughout France yesterday in honor of Meric. At least 6,000 protesters flooded Paris chanting anti-Nazi slogans and waving signs.

These attacks have caused major concern throughout France about the increasingly violent tendencies of the far-right. Political tensions have been high in France, especially after many months protesting the legalization of gay marriage. Both the right and the left have criticized this attack. France's interior minister, Manuel Valls, criticized the skinheads directly, saying, "There is no place for small neo-Nazi groups whose enemy is the nation."

[image via AP]