Japanese restaurant “Yuki” in Paris vandalized with “coronavirus” graffiti (Image: Twitter/@lecoachjp)
As the number of COVID-19 cases rise each day, fears of the global outbreak have brought about travel bans and other government protocols—some, however, seem to be dealing with the pandemic in unpleasant ways.
In what has been dubbed as an act of racism, a Japanese restaurant in Paris was vandalized with “coronavirus” graffiti. Twitter user @Lecoachjp, a French national and Japanese resident, shared photos of the vandalism via Twitter on Feb. 17.
“Asian French, or Japanese, are being targeted for racial discrimination because of the coronavirus!” @Leocoachjp was quoted as saying in Japanese by Sora News 24. “This time a Japanese restaurant has been graffitied! As a French person, this makes me so sad to see.”
https://twitter.com/Lecoachjp/status/1229140493633650688
The exterior walls and windows of Japanese restaurant “Yuki” can be seen defaced with large “coronavirus” and “virus” graffiti, along with a big splash of light-blue paint on the door. The restaurant is located at Paris’ Rue de la Michodière.
The owners have since removed the writings and have filed a police complaint, as per France Bleu on Feb. 16.
There are now more than 70,000 confirmed cases worldwide of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China, in December. /ra
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