The Mercury-News says that attackers fled in a blue Chevy pickup. Witnesses got the license plate number and the police are looking for the owner.

The Mercury-News also says there were 2 other assaults in downtown Palo Alto on Wednesday early morning, as well as several public drunkenness arrests.

Palo Alto police agent Dan Ryan says all the violence was due to "stupid male drunken behavior."

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What is it about Mardi Gras that makes people behave so badly? To some extent we can understand this in New Orleans, or Rio, or some big city in a predominately Roman Catholic country. But, in San Jose, or even Palo Alto, why are we celebrating the start of Lent in such a manner? Do we really believe that these revellers are not going to be out drinking again until after Easter? I doubt it, they are just jumping on any excuse to party midweek and using Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday) as the springboard. Perhaps we should blame the restaurants and bars for trying to increase midweek profits, or maybe we should just try to anticipate it better.

Any excuse works for those who wish areason to be excessive about anything. It does not matter what day St. Pat's is or New Years or Christmas or any other "blame it on..." day falls on. People who want to be stupid - MALE OR FEMALE - (Ryan's error)take advantage of the excuse to over-indulge (and it isn't only alcohol i.e. Thanksgiving pig-out).

A very significant number of DUIs are women, unfortunately they sometimes have kids in the car with them.

DUI is much more threatening to life and limb that the occasional drunken brawl.
Ryan should refresh his statement to reflect a commitment to harm reduction.

"Four men began pestering a few women standing in front of the bar just before 2 a.m."

1. Why are women hanging out in front of a bar at 2 AM? That is no place to meet Mr. Right. Were they looking for Mr. Wrong? Who says they were being "pestered"? It is a completely stupid thing to do.

2. Sir Gallahad showed up and tried to protect the fair (or not)ladies. Did they want to be protected? Did they have cell phones? If so, they could have just dialed 911. Was Gallahad drunk, too?

3. Did Gallahad throw the first punch, or make the first disparaging remark? Did the ladies encourage him to protect them? Or did they think he was a drunk fool?

4. We need to hear from the ladies (presumably now sober)about their fantasy evening.

5. Actually, why not just forget this whole thing and move on? Drunks are drunks.

Not a drunk? Who the hell are YOU to judge whether the female was 'hanging' around the bar at 2am? Whether she was looking for 'love' or her 'fantasy evening'? What kind of caveman mentality is that?

As to the guy who tried to help her, at least he stepped up. Probably should have phoned the police but it appears his act was well intentioned. He sure as hell didn't deserve to get beaten for his efforts. I just don't know what kind of scum thinks it's alright to lay hands on another person except in self defense, and in an unfair fight too. I hope they are caught and prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to the harshest punishment allowed. So sick of all the violence.

YouShouldKnow,

Read the story.

"Four men began pestering a few women standing in front of the bar just before 2 a.m"

It was not just one woman. It was a group of women hanging around a bar at 2 AM.

The old admonition, "If you want to avoid bar fights, don't go to bars", comes to mind. Even an old cave man like me understands that.

Since when is being drunk an excuse for 4 men to beat another. Since when have we lost our values.. helping others? It is so easy to turn a head to injustices we see everyday.
Sir Galahad's mother

Note to self: must use cell phone first and avoid physical violence unless there's imminent danger to self and others.

Hopefully they were waiting for a cab to avoid a DUI.
NOLA is only 650 feet to the PAPD!

this guy should have mind his own.If this was a problem he should have called police.This is why we have such resourc.why didnt he think of this instead he wants to try to stick up for some girls who knew more than likely how to stick up for themselves.he is lucky to be alive.

Despicable behavior - and so close to the police dept. Why weren't the cops hanging out there, anyhow? A New Orleans-style restaurant celebrating Mardi Gras? Of course a problem is to be expected.

There is no reason to question what the women were doing, what their rescuer was doing - only what the perpetrators were doing. THEY caused the problem, not the women.

I hope the thugs get caught and prosecuted. For shame that the police were not closer at hand during such a time often prone to violence.

G-town? Your attitude and assumptions are a part of the reason your own City has so many problems.Turn your back on someone in need and mind your own business, which teeters precariously close to the no snitch policy of others that think as you apparently do. Just two more attitudes that won't help end the violence.

Awful? Perhaps you don't know the mechanics of the downtown club scene. On busy nights there is usually (the appearance) a cop on each block. For sure three or four patrol cars. Unless something big happens elsewhere and their assistance is needed. Add to that if another drunken jerk acts out on another street, then they must cover there. I have been downtown at closing time more than most as I provide safe rides, and I am always impressed by the heavy presence of law enforcement near these clubs.

Don't let the actions of one out of line cop reflect on the entire department. That's how witch hunts are started.

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Notadrunk? I read the story. Unlike you, I didn't lay the blame on the ladies or the guy that tried to help them.

Maybe being an old cave man has caused you to forget what it's like to be young. At the end of an evening, people do tend to linger in the fresh night air to say goodnite, exchange numbers, call for rides, sober up a bit, whatever.

This wasn't a bar fight. It was four undesirable scumbags with too much alcohol and testosterone inflicting themselves in an aggressive manner on a group of people minding their own business. Blame them, not the people who weren't doing anything other than standing outside a bar socializing.

Wow. I'm almost as ashamed of some of the comments I see here as I am of the event itself. This is how people from my community interact?

YouShouldKnow,

In fact, you don't have a clue as to what happened, do you? Neither do I, but I do have my opinions about the circumstances. Staying away from bars, especially late at night, and especially by women, is a safe thing to do. Drunks do what drunks do. It is best to avoid them.

My brother was an MP in the Army, back in cave men days. His major concern was breaking up bar fights in towns next to local Army bases. Many of those fights were about drunk soldiers and locals competing over women in the bars, often egged on by the ladies. He was attacked several times by women who were upset that they could not go home with their new boyfriend, the one who 'won' the fight. Some things never change.

Hats off to the guy who got whomped on - I hope some day to have a chance to take on 4 bar scum, whether I do it successfully or not.

Does anyone know how the gentleman (and I mean that term) is doing. Is anyone looking after him?

The four men who first harrassed the ladies and then beat this man are guilty of gross thuggish behavior. I hope to hear soon that the police are chatting with them, and I hope they get their pants sued off to cover the gentleman's medical care and damages.

Ladies? Apparently we should now retire to our fainting couches at a seemly hour to crochet each evening. Perhaps fashion ourselves chastity belts?

Yeah not a drunk. Women can be just as stupid as men, who said they can't be? In this particular case it doesn't appear that way. By virtue of being out at that hour when many are does not make them automatic prey for randy ignorant inebriated knuckle dragging cretins who don't believe some woman doesn't want to bask in their 'glow'.

Let's just say that I was encouraged to hear that someone had gotten a license plate number. I hope that pans out.

As far as I am concerned that guy is a hero, I hope he gets treated as one.

I hope we read about some arrests this weekend! WITH DETAILS!

No wonder residents have given up going Downtown in the evening and restaurants are closing. This behavior sends a bad message.

Restaurants are closing? You mean early or for good? Which ones?

I dropped someone off at Nola's on Fat Tues and there was a huge firetruck, an emergency response team and multiple police officers in front ....at least at 10pm. This kind of stuff happens ALL the time. I lived in Baltimore and once a guy got shot in the head (and survived) for sticking up for a girl being harrassed by a bunch of drunken idiots! Some guys drink, get horney and want to pick up on women. The only problem is they don't realize how disgusting they are; when another guy tries to intervene (like a big brother), the drunk guy feels like he is being challenged. Macho man attitude! I've even seen drunk guys fight because someone knocked into their drink at the bar.....probably hormonal or too much cocaine! Anyway, the victim lived...let's be glad we don't have another incident like Phil Lacy on our hands!!!

It might do residents well to realize that we now have so much nighttime entertainment that people are coming from all over to party here. This is no longer the local scene where everyone knows everyone else. With the crackdowns in San Jose on their club scene, people will start going elsewhere, like PA, and in that influx there will be scumbags and troublemakers. Remember that and keep the PAPD 329-2413 number on your speed dial...

Close that place down ... and most of the other places in Palo Alto where the scums collect at night. Let the jerks go somewhere else, I'd like to be able to walk in my city without seeing, hearing and reading about this kind of stuff. You cannot even walk by Nola's at night without some kind of potential incident and rudeness. The managers have shown they cannot handle it ... close the place down, or have it close at 11pm.

When we see over and over the cop getting killed, the citizens getting mugged and the good guys getting beat up ... how long does it take for people to do something about it?

Pretty funny ....

> "If you want to avoid bar fights, don't go to bars",

Posted by "not a drunk". We go to bars for the fights,
yeah, that's it, how silly of Palo Altans not to know that.

Dear F-Your-Censorship,

What you call censorship, most everyone else calls civility amd respect. There is a difference. If you are frustrated over your message not being heard, you only need to look at yourself.

PA Online CAN be sued for violating constitutional rights! Users of these discussion forums have not entered into any contract designating certain rules as to the proper usage of these forums. People have the RIGHT to say what they want so long as these statements do not infringe upon the rights of others. PA Online CANNOT delete comments at their whim, as this is a violation of constitutional rights. Does PA Online want to get into legal squabbles over a comment that was valid and contained no profanity?

Stop the censorship OR make your users enter in agreement with a terms or conditions of use.

They own the publication. I do not agree with a lot of the deleting they do either, but apparently they feel it's their right as they are under no obligation legal or otherwise to offer the opportunity for commentary.

That being said, I believe they should essentially leave most comments up unless they are hate speech, incitement, or vulgarity for the sole purpose of shock value.

No arrests yet? WTF?

Did the ladies in distress, once they sobered up, press charges? Was Sir Gallahad sober when he stepped in to save the distressed ladies? Was there a single sober person who was involved in this bar fight?

I say drop it. Drunks are drunks, and irrational behavior rules the night. And yes, once again, if you don't want to get involved in a bar fight, don't go to bars. Women, especially, should stay away from bars, especially late at night, when the stupid guys are fully tanked. Croquet is a much better choice.

Its possible they've been arrested (or turned themselves in) already. I'd take the warm embrace of the law over having to look over my shoulder anywhere I go wondering what's next. This is why people usually get jumped in dark allies and not in front of bars and businesses. dummies, in so many ways.

Time again, you suffer from an extreme lapse in judgment. There is a very big difference between a bar fight and some guy being attacked by a group. In fact, your logic is so flawed I would hope the police would be tracing your posts, cause no reasonable unbiased person would make them.

The last message was directed to "not a drunk" of course.

Has anyone heard any updates on this?