A nurse has lost sight in one of his eyes after being attacked by a man on a subway train in Spain.
Local media reported that the man was attacked on July 15 after reportedly asking for the other passenger to wear a mask on the train in Madrid. In Spain, it is mandatory to wear masks on public transport to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The incident reportedly took place at the Alto del Arenal metro station of Madrid’s underground network.
A video circulating on Twitter, and featuring in several local reports, appears to show the initial confrontation as a man is struck hard in the face by an aggressor. It is not clear whether there is a sharp object in the hand of the perpetrator. The impact of the blow left the nurse on the floor of the train.
The video shows a man wearing a pink baseball cap and a backpack, departing the train while the nurse is still on the floor, shouting “Let it be clear to you, I hope you die, asshole.” No one on the train appeared to move to defend the man or stop the suspect from fleeing.
The footage also shows the suspected attacker is the only person in the video not wearing a mask.
Doctors at the Hospital 12 de Octubre reportedly did everything possible to save the victim’s sight but the extent of the damage was severe, El Mundo reported.
The nurse is still recovering in the hospital, and the alleged suspect has not yet been identified by authorities, the paper reported.
Newsweek has contacted Spanish National Police and UFP (Unión Federal de Policía) for comment on the incident.
Police have requested for anyone with details of the incident to share them.
There have been many other disputes and altercations linked to coronavirus rules, including whether a mask should be worn in public places.
On May 4, a video of two Asian women being harassed by a stranger before one was struck with a hammer was released by New York Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force. Before the unnamed individual, who is still at large, attacked the woman, she shouted, “Take off your f***ing mask.”
In the same city in February 2020, an Asian woman wearing a facemask was allegedly assaulted and called “diseased” in an incident on the subway that was apparently sparked by bias over COVID-19.
A video on Twitter shows a maskless man brutally kicking and punching a woman as she runs to leave the station.
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