U2 frontman Bono was among those rescued from a restaurant in Nice by counter-terrorism police Thursday night after a terrorist drove a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on the nearby Promenade des Anglais, killing 84 people and injuring more than 100 others.
According to the Telegraph, the 56-year-old singer and renowned chef Alain Ducasse were dining at the upscale La Petite Maison restaurant when terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel began his attack at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night.
Diners in the restaurant, including former Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi, were ordered to drop to the floor while the windows were shuttered. Eventually, Bono, Ducasse and Estrosi were rescued by armed counter-terror police who escorted them to the nearby Massena Square.
Love is bigger than anything in its way – Bono, Edge, Adam, Larry pic.twitter.com/1w31gcXIQR
— U2 (@U2) July 15, 2016
“It took around half an hour for the police to get us out,’ one diner told the Telegraph. “Like everybody else, Bono had to put his hands on his head, and was told to remain calm. The police were clearly very worried that terrorists might still be at large, and everybody was under suspicion.”
One local told the paper that the U2 frontman is a frequent patron of the pricey restaurant. The singer reportedly owns a home in the nearby town of Eze.
Bono wasn’t the only celebrity in town during the terrorist massacre. Pop star Rihanna was similarly eating dinner at a restaurant in Antibes, 15 miles from Nice, when the attack occurred. She later cancelled a concert scheduled for the following night at Allianz Stadium due to security concerns.
According to the Telegraph, Elton John and members of his touring band returned from a concert in southwest France hours after the terror attack. John was taken to his Nice villa while his bandmates reportedly stayed at a hotel very close in proximity to the site of the attack.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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