Montenegro Police Probe Teen Harassment of Asian Tourist on Bus
An Asian travel creator was harassed by teenagers on a bus in Montenegro, sparking a viral video, police action, and strong civil society condemnation regarding racism.
A video recorded by an Asian travel content creator in Montenegro has sparked widespread outrage and a swift police response after she was harassed by a group of local teenagers on a public bus.
Incident in the Bay of Kotor
Meghan, who runs the popular travel page The Asian Girl Abroad, was traveling on a regular bus route connecting the tourist towns of Kotor, Perast, and Risan in Montenegro. During the ride, a group of teenagers aged 13 to 16 began mocking her, making racist comments about her background, throwing paper at her, and mimicking a Chinese accent.
Meghan pulled out her phone and filmed the incident, which quickly amassed millions of views online. In the video, she can be heard confronting the youths and demanding respect. The viral footage prompted an immediate reaction from authorities in Kotor, with local police identifying the involved minors and initiating misdemeanor and criminal proceedings against three of them for disturbing public order and offensive behavior.
Broader Social Concerns
The Center for Civic Education (CCE) in Montenegro issued a strong condemnation following the incident. In an official statement, the organization emphasized that racism is not a harmless prank and that the young age of the perpetrators does not lessen the severity of the act.
Racism does not start the moment someone turns on a camera. It starts much earlier, in the place where prejudices are learned, hatred is justified, and the other is presented as a threat.
Civil society groups have called on the Ministry of Education to urgently introduce civic education programs in schools to combat racism and verbal violence, noting that the incident highlights deeper societal challenges regarding xenophobia and the normalization of intolerance.
