---
title: "Passengers Beat Bus Driver Who Asked They Wear Masks, Leaving Him Brain Dead"
description: "A Bayonne, France bus driver was beaten by a group of angry passengers because they refused to abide by mask guidelines. The driver is now brain dead."
date: "2020-07-06"
modified: "2020-07-06"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/passengers-beat-bus-driver-masks-brain-dead"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "bus"
  - "coronavirus"
  - "masks"
  - "the digest"
---

# Passengers Beat Bus Driver Who Asked They Wear Masks, Leaving Him Brain Dead

![A Bayonne, France bus driver was beaten by a group of angry passengers because they refused to abide by mask guidelines. The driver is now brain dead.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/passengers-beat-bus-driver-demanded-wear-masks-brain-dead.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Angry Mob

On Sunday night, a bus driver in Bayonne, France was assaulted by a group of passengers. His offense? He insisted that they wear a face mask.

Face masks are required on public transit in Bayonne, *[Agence France-Presse ](<https://www.courthousenews.com/french-bus-driver-brain-dead-from-assault-by-maskless-riders/>)*[reports](<https://www.courthousenews.com/french-bus-driver-brain-dead-from-assault-by-maskless-riders/>). But that didn't stop the group — which also didn't have tickets, it reported — from turning violent when they were denied entry. Now, as of Monday morning, the driver has been declared brain dead as a result of his injuries.

## "Barbaric Act"

The mayor of Bayonne called the assault, in which the driver was repeatedly struck in the head and delivered to unconscious to the hospital, a "barbaric act," *[BBC News ](<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53309424>)*[reports](<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53309424>).

So far, five members of the angry mob have been arrested.

## Culture War

It's an extreme and isolated incident, but it paints a broader, troubling picture of the global coronavirus response. While the outbreak in France isn't nearly as bad as it is in the U.S., the [pandemic is far from over](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/pandemic-advisor-country-needs-shut-down-again>).

And attacking a bus driver for trying to enforce mask-wearing, which is both a common-sense safety measure and the law in the area, suggests that many people may not be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to truly end this global crisis.

**READ MORE:** [French Bus Driver Brain Dead From Assault by Maskless Riders](<https://www.courthousenews.com/french-bus-driver-brain-dead-from-assault-by-maskless-riders/>) \[*Agence France-Presse*\]
 **More on masks:** *[Here Are a Bunch of Photos of Cops not Wearing Masks](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/photos-cops-not-wearing-masks>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)