International student claims he was punched in the eye at Chijmes toilet and was momentarily blinded

The New Paper
April 22, 2024

A 22-year-old international student from China has claimed that he was punched in the eye when he was at Chijmes on April 13.

In the altercation that took place around midnight, Mr He was in the toilet with three other friends when a man coming out of a cubicle confronted them.

It is believed that the man works at the bar Mr He and his friends were patronising.

"He seemed to be drunk at the time and kept saying that we were staring at him, but we weren't," Mr He told Shin Min Daily News.

He added that he felt a slap on his face and heard insults being hurled at him and his friends. Suddenly, a punch landed on his left eye and he felt momentarily blinded.

"Another friend was punched and his spectacles fell to the ground," according to Mr He, who then called the police.

He claimed that he returned to the bar to complain about the incident but the manager and security officers told the group of friends to leave instead of apologising for the employee's behaviour.

Bar manager Wang Yu Han, 27, said Mr He and the employee were already arguing before entering the toilet.

"Our security guards stepped forward to separate them, but someone suddenly rushed forward and started attacking. My employee was scratched on the neck," said Mr Wang, adding that the employee had drunk a bit of alcohol and that he was fighting back because he had been struck.