A brutal attack on a group of women in a restaurant has sparked horror in China.
Nine people were arrested in connection with the incident in Tangshan city, north China's Hebei province, local police said on Saturday.
The attack fueled debate about sexual harassment and gender-based violence on Chinese online networks.
Video footage circulating on the internet shows a man putting his hand on the back of a woman who is being accompanied by two friends in the bar.
When the woman pushes the man away, he hits her.
Other men forcibly dragged the woman out of the restaurant and beat her while she was lying on the floor.
Another woman is also knocked to the ground.
Two women were so badly injured in the attack that they had to be treated in hospital.
The authorities said they were in “stable condition”.
Two other women suffered minor injuries.
According to the police, the nine arrested people are accused of bodily harm and "provocation of unrest".
Further investigations into the case are ongoing.
The footage from a surveillance camera went viral on China's social media platform Weibo.
The incident received millions of comments.
"All of this could have happened to me, could have happened to all of us," read a post that more than 100,000 users agreed with.
“How can something like this still happen in 2022?” wrote another.
"Please punish them and don't let any of them get away."
In a short online commentary, state television also called for the suspects to be severely punished.
gro/afp
