The president of a French gay association has been beaten in what he said was a homophobic attack on the streets of Paris, reports BBC News.
Guillaume Mélanie, president of Urgence Homophobie, said he was leaving a restaurant in the centre of the city when the attack happened.
He suffered a broken nose and went to hospital for treatment.
The story prompted an outpouring of support and condemnation of frequent such attacks in the French capital.
Last week, two young women sitting on a public bench were insulted with homophobic slurs before being attacked. Earlier in October, two men who had been kissing in the city were set upon, both receiving injuries which required hospital treatment.
And in late September, comedian Arnaud Gagnoud was attacked by six people for hugging another man while leaving a play.
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo tweeted her support to Mr Mélanie, saying "this series of homophobic acts calls for a collective outburst".
"It is out of the question to resign ourselves to this violence," she tweeted to him. "We will do everything to ensure that everyone is free and sees their rights respected in Paris."
Mr Mélanie was attacked near the Etienne Marcel station in Paris' second district – which he normally considered to be "very gay-friendly" neighbourhood, he told French broadcaster BFMTV.
His group, Urgence Homophobie, specialises in helping homosexuals who are persecuted in Chechnya – a major news story in 2017 and early this year. Mr Mélanie and some friends had been celebrating a residence permit secured for one of the refugees, he told French media.
Leaving the restaurant, a man – "who had to see we were gay" – pushed one of the refugees out of his way, and was admonished by one of the group to be more gentle.
It was then, Mr Mélanie said, that the man hurled a series of homophobic slurs before launching his attack.