The renowned Paris Opera House in France recently witnessed a conflict between tourists. A group of Chinese tourists were taking photos on the famous grand marble staircase, possibly for too long, which annoyed Western tourists waiting behind them. This led to a disagreement and a physical altercation between the parties. Subsequently, a Chinese hearing-impaired woman held up her phone to display the Five-Star Red Flag, instantly fueling heated online discussion. On Thursday (the 25th), the woman issued a statement on her Xiaohongshu account, calling on netizens to stop personal attacks.
The hearing-impaired woman, who calls herself “Xue’er,” admitted she was the main character in the video, and the man wearing sunglasses was her husband. Xue’er emphasized that the footage online captures only fragments and does not show the entire incident. She claimed that when it was their group’s turn to take photos, they did not deliberately occupy the spot for long—‘just 2 or 3 minutes.’
Later, foreign tourists suddenly cut in the line, shoved, and made provocative and insulting gestures, which escalated the conflict. Xue’er stated that her husband did not retaliate at all, and afterward, they proactively contacted the opera house staff to explain and report the issue, hoping the authorities would release the full surveillance footage.
Regarding her action of displaying the Five-Star Red Flag during the dispute, Xue’er admitted it was an impulsive and inappropriate act: “The national flag represents the image and dignity of the country and should not be dragged into personal disputes. This was my lack of consideration. I accept everyone’s criticism about this and once again apologize to all.”
She confessed that she has been under great stress over the past few days, and while she is willing to accept rational criticism, she asks not to be subjected to insults, slander, personal attacks, or ongoing harassment against herself and her family. She also called on everyone to view the incident rationally and let the controversy end here. Xue’er emphasized: “I will reserve the right to protect my interests according to the law.”