A Brussels street artist has paid tribute to Driss Atounane, the Schaerbeek shopkeeper who died on Sunday after stepping in to defend a woman who was allegedly being subjected to racist abuse on a STIB tram.
Atounane, 54, who ran a supermarket on Place Liedts in Schaerbeek, was travelling on Tram 55 in Evere on Thursday afternoon when he intervened in an altercation at the Linde tram stop. The male suspect was reportedly shouting insults at a female passenger, calling her a “dirty Arab” and telling her she had “no business being here”.
Atounane called out the man's behaviour, and according to SudInfo, the assailant responded by hitting him over the head with a heavy object, causing him to fall to the floor. He was taken to the Brugmann University Hospital, where he fell into a coma. He died on Sunday morning.
'Whoever saves one life saves humanity'
Just days after his death, a large mural honouring Atounane has appeared in Evere, where he lived.
The artwork, created by Brussels graffiti artist Fouad Hachmi (HMI), depicts Atounane alongside the messages "Whoever saves one life saves humanity" and "RIP Driss Atounane. 26-07-26," marking the date of his death in hospital. The mural is located at the intersection of Rue de Zaventem, near Brussels Cemetery, and Avenue Jules Bordet in Evere.
"When art becomes a duty of remembrance," Evere mayor Alessandro Zappala wrote on Facebook. "This mural pays tribute to Driss Atounane, a man who lost his life while coming to someone's aid. Thank you to Evere artist HMI CNN for this meaningful work."
HMI was also the artist who painted the mural in memory of Fabian, an 11-year-old boy who died after being struck by a police vehicle in 2025.
