Student attacked on London’s Oxford Street told by gang: ‘I don’t want your coronavirus’

Police are investigating after a student said he was repeatedly punched on London’s Oxford Street by attackers who said they “don’t want your coronavirus”.

Jonathan Mok, who is from Singapore and currently studying in the UK, said he was left with facial fractures that may need reconstructive surgery after he was attacked.

The 23-year-old recounted the ordeal in a Facebook post, where he said a group of men and a woman walked past him on the busy shopping street at 9.15pm on Monday last week, when he overheard one of them say “coronavirus”.

He said he turned round at the comment to see one member of the group staring at him, who shouted: “Don’t you dare look at me…”

“Within 3 seconds, he was in my face, together with 3/4 other young men, and a young lady,” Mr Mok wrote, adding: “All of a sudden, the first punch was swung at my face and took me by surprise.

“When I was still shocked by the first hit, the guy delivered the second sucker punch.

“By then, a few passers-by had stopped and one of them tried to reason with them that 4 on 1 was not fair.

“The attacker’s friend tried to swing a kick at me as I was explaining to the passer-by that I hadn’t done anything at all.”

Mr Mok said the man who tried to kick him told him: “I don’t want your coronavirus in my country” before swinging another punch.

He added that it “resulted in my face exploding with blood (from my nose), where the blood was splattered all across the pavement”.

Mr Mok said he was “still in daze and shock,” adding: “The group left promptly from the scene before the police arrived.”

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The student shared pictures of his injuries which showed a black eye and bloodied nose.

He said he had gone to hospital after the incident and was told he had sustained several fractures to his face that may require reconstructive surgery.

The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating a racially aggravated assault and was looking into CCTV to identify suspects.

No arrests have been made.

The attack on Mr Mok is the latest in a flurry of reported racially-motivated incidents following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Trainee lawyer Meera Solanki, 29, was punched unconscious in Birmingham after defending a friend who was told: “Take your coronavirus back home!”

Meanwhile, tax consultant Pawat Silawattakun, 24, told the Observer that teenagers in Fulham had broken his nose and robbed him while shouting “coronavirus”.

Other members of the Asian community in the UK have also shared their experiences, which include reports of people refusing to sit next to them on public transport or receiving abuse in the street.

Speaking to Sky News, Chinese students in Cardiff recalled being abused while walking to their lectures.

Robin Zhang, a postgraduate, said: “Four guys, standing next to the door, shouting at me and my friend Lucy, we were walking together, saying: ‘Hey! Coronavirus!’

“They were doing the gesture covering their nose and their mouth with the collar of their shirt and then laughing out loud.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said recent weeks have seen steady levels of reported hate crimes, and that there was no obvious increases with links to the virus.

However, Mr Mok said racism posed an “ugly problem” that was “once again rearing its ugly head in light of the COVID-19 crisis”.

(c) Sky News 2020: Student attacked on London’s Oxford Street told by gang: ‘I don’t want your coronavirus’