Chinese authorities arrested nine men after video footage of a vicious attack on a group of female diners at a barbecue restaurant sparked outrage and debate on women¡¯s rights on social media.

The attack took place early Friday in the northern city of Tangshan, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The suspects were arrested Saturday after a search that spanned two provinces. An official in Tangshan vowed to ¡°severely punish¡± those involved, the report added.

Security footage of the incident shows a man approaching a table of three female diners and putting his hand on one woman¡¯s back. When she resists his advances, the man attacks her and a friend, and several other men pile in. The woman is later dragged outside by her hair, where the men repeatedly beat and kick her as she lays on the ground.