I know alcohol doesn’t always bring out the best in people, and I’m sorry in advance if this sounds messy. My boyfriend (of six years) and I, both English, were out drinking at an Irish pub in a random European city while travelling. He’s 6’7 and can definitely handle more alcohol than I can. I’ve not been feeling well, so I drank very little over the day, but he ended up having nearly 15 large drinks (half of them mine) not quite pints, but still.

Later in the evening, we made friends and took more shots and more large drinks. Then this very obviously drunk girl from Liverpool started going off at two German girls. The German girls clearly didn’t understand her, and because I speak a little German and sounded more neutral, they asked me what was going on (as in asked me to intervene and get them off their table). It became clear that the Liverpudlian girl was trying to fight them, I wasn’t especially worried because it was obvious she was intoxicated and had no idea where she was, and her friend was trying to get her back to her hostel.

I did what I could: I asked the staff for help, and when she physically lunged at one of the German girls, I instinctively grabbed her arm to hold her back. She pushed me in response, and the staff removed her (after her saying quite a few choice words against me).

Now here’s the AITA part: My boyfriend, who is normally sweet but was very drunk, did not take kindly to me being pushed or threatened. He stood up (we’re both around 5’4, so she wasn’t exactly threatening in that sense and the act of standing up is aggressive) and started making a scene (telling her to leave etc). He then asked the girl if she had a boyfriend he could “talk to,” when I told him to let me sort this, I could hear him in the background repeatedly commenting on her looks (not in a flattering way), and just generally made the whole situation way worse. I am mortified. I don't regret standing up for the German girls but the mistrust? That I couldn't handle the situation is whats infuriating me.

I broke up with him on the spot. I doubt he’ll even remember it happened. His defence is that he was just protecting me, and that if the roles were reversed, a man would never insult a stranger without expecting some consequence. But to me, it felt immature and weak? The girl had no sense of where she was so I didn’t feel protected, I felt humiliated and for him to hold no empathy for someone in need? Not entirely sure on that but honestly, a bit scared. I’ve never seen him behave that way before.

So… AITA for breaking up with my boyfriend over this one incident — even if he was drunk and says he was trying to defend me?

Update* edit; I was asked to intervene

Update 2: Lordy Lord, blocking anyone that says its a males job to solely protect. Seriously misogynistic, men are much more than attack dogs. Ffs.