A video posted on Chinese social media on Friday showed a shattered windshield and a tourist on the bus claiming in the video that the black-clad rioters tried to board the bus and pull passengers out.
According to Chinese media group Hangzhou Transportation 918, a couple, the husband surnamed Wang and the wife surnamed Ma, were on the bus, which was bound for a local hotel in Marseille. On a section of road less than two kilometers away from the hotel, a local child waved his hand at the bus, indicating to the driver not to go any further.
Photo: Sina News
However, the driver did not realize the seriousness of the situation and continued driving.
“As I was sitting at the very front of the bus, I clearly saw 5-6 masked rioters start throwing stones at the bus. Later, the driver continued driving for a distance, but more and more rioters appeared ahead, and they even placed blockades in the middle of the road, trying to stop our bus.”
During the journey, the rear door of the bus had already been smashed open.
“At that time, one masked rioter had taken the opportunity to board the bus, holding a stone in his hand. However, because there were many people in the bus, and several adult men were resisting in the back, he eventually jumped off,” Wang said.
Photo: Sina News
According to Wang’s description, the driver of the bus was a Polish man in his 40s. “The driver was relatively calm. Although the windshield of the driver’s seat had been smashed, he still made an emergency turn and drove the vehicle to a safe zone 2-3 kilometers away . The bus was severely damaged, with many windows shattered and the navigation system damaged.”
At the time, all the passengers on the bus were Chinese tourists, except for the driver, and some of them were injured in the incident.
“My wife and I were sitting at the very front, so luckily we were not injured. Five to six Chinese tourists on the bus were hit by stones and suffered minor injuries. Later, after arriving at the hotel, everyone was too scared to go out,” Wang said.
The group chose to call the local police for help, and the police said, “The rioters were attacking nearby police officers that night and happened to encounter the passing bus, and then attacked the bus.”
Photo: Sina News
The couple originally planned to make up for their honeymoon by travelling to France. They departed from Hangzhou and arrived in France on the early morning of June 28, local time, after visiting Italy.
The couple booked the trip with a well-known Chinese travel agency, at a cost of 23,000 yuan per person for a 13-day itinerary. They were supposed to depart from Marseille to Paris the next day. However, due to the sudden violent incident, the route was changed, and they chose to go directly to Switzerland.
“I was not feeling well physically… I only slept for 3-4 hours after arriving in Switzerland from France, and I didn’t dare close my eyes for the past few days,” Ma said, according to Hangzhou Transportation 918.
A man throws a stone at security forces during a protest in Nanterre, a town on the western outskirts of Paris, France, on June 29, 2023.(Photo: Xinhua)
Violence and looting hit France in a fourth night of protests as police, who were deployed in force, made more than 1,300 arrests and the country braced for more clashes as the funeral began Saturday of the teenager who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop, AFP reported.
The French government said the violence had “lessened” compared to previous nights, but the interior ministry still reported 1,311 arrests nationwide overnight.
The Chinese Embassy in France issued a statement on Friday reminding Chinese citizens in France to strengthen safety precautions and avoid going to areas where protests, demonstrations, and violent conflicts may occur.
(Global Times)
