Paris Rioters Beat Man After He Helps Friend Under Attack

A woman living in France described how a violent group attacked her husband in central Paris after he rushed to help a friend who was being beaten. Almudena Garcia recounted the incident during a Wednesday interview with Fox News, saying the assault left her husband covered in blood and forced him to seek refuge inside a nearby restaurant.

Garcia said the confrontation escalated within seconds, as the initial group of attackers grew to approximately 10 people. Two restaurant waiters intervened to protect her husband, although several members of the group followed him inside and continued the assault.

Garcia described the experience as deeply frightening during her appearance on America's Newsroom.

"It was like a horror movie. I've never experienced a fear like that before," Almudena Garcia told America's Newsroom.

She explained that she and her husband had been walking through central Paris and were preparing to leave when they heard people screaming. After turning around, they saw a friend being attacked by several individuals, prompting her husband to intervene.

"We were just in the streets in the center of Paris ... We were about to leave, and then we heard some screaming, so we turned around, and we saw one of our friends being beat up by a group of individuals, four or five, and then my husband just ran to them in order to help his friends," Garcia said.

According to Garcia, the attackers redirected their violence toward her husband as he attempted to help his friend. The number of people involved increased rapidly, leaving her struggling to understand how quickly the situation had deteriorated.

"It happened very, very fast," Garcia recalled.

She said the group expanded from its original members to roughly twice that number almost immediately.

"There were five at the beginning and four or five more just arrived in two seconds, so I just saw my husband being beat up by 10 individuals," Garcia said.

As the assault continued, Garcia screamed for assistance because she feared her husband could suffer serious injuries or be killed. Nearby restaurant workers eventually stepped in, bringing him inside in an effort to shield him from the attackers.

"I was panicking, and I was asking for help," Garcia said.

Garcia said the intervention initially provided a place of refuge, but several attackers pursued her husband into the establishment. The waiters ultimately managed to force the assailants out, allowing her to reach her injured husband.

"Thanks to the waiters, they could finally get them [the rioters] out ... and I got into the restaurant, and I just saw my husband all covered in blood ... It was very, very scary," Garcia said.

The attack occurred amid weeks of unrest across France. According to the Fox News report, demonstrations initially focused on concerns about poor school conditions before expanding to include protests over rising living costs.

Some demonstrations have escalated into violence, with rioters attacking police officers, looting businesses and damaging public buildings. Paris has remained a focal point, while social media videos circulated over the weekend appeared to show groups of men damaging property in the capital and other major French cities.

The Associated Press reported that street violence had subsided after French authorities imposed curfews in parts of Paris and other affected cities. Authorities were preparing for additional demonstrations on Saturday, October 24.