Shocking video footage shows the moment a mass brawl broke out between a group of white and black people on an Alabama riverbank, in which a woman was hit on the head with a chair.
A witness claimed the fight started with an argument over a pontoon boat blocking the wharf where a riverboat was trying to dock.
Video shared on social media shows horrific scenes of violence spilling over, with sides seemingly split on racial lines — though it’s not yet clear if the melee was racially aggravated.
Men are seen gouging eyes and hurling punches at each other’s heads, as a woman lies beaten on the floor while a man smashes a chair over her head in a vicious attack.
A man is even seen swimming from across the river to the other side of the river to join the fight.
Footage shared on social media shows two men throwing punches on an Alabama boardwalk
The pair trade punches to the head before one is seen gouging out the other’s eye
Spectators pile up as fight erupts over a seemingly innocuous dispute over a powerboat blocking a larger riverboat
The fight appears to have taken place between a group of white people and a group of black people – although it’s not yet clear if the altercation was racially aggravated
The men can be seen gouging out their eyes before a roaring crowd, some expressing their horror while others take the fight
A man can be seen hitting another man on the head with a chair as he tries to escape
The action unfolds in front of startled passengers who are on a riverboat moored on the river
The same man is later seen hitting a woman on the head with a chair as she sits on the floor
The man is then restrained and handcuffed by officers who arrive at the scene
Montgomery police said they responded to reports of disturbances on the river around 7 p.m. Saturday.
Several people have been detained and charges are pending, the department added.
Footage seems to show the fight starting in a fight between a white man and a black man at the end of the boardwalk.
In a flamboyant gesture, the black man tosses his cap to a watching crowd above, seemingly anticipating a brawl.
Scenes quickly turn sour when the throwing of a hat elicits a blow to the head from the shirtless white man.
The pair exchange blows before another white man in red shorts tackles the black man to the ground, before several others join the fray.
Some seem to be trying to break up the fight, while others throw punches as well.
At this point, a black man can be seen swimming across the river to climb onto the boardwalk.
Separate footage shows a group of black men approaching a group of whites in a small motorboat moored to the pontoon.
Another fight soon breaks out and at one point a white woman is thrown into the water as her attacker is cheered on by those filming the fight.
Another video shows the brawl spreading to the center of the boardwalk, outside a larger boat named Harriott II.
The fight appears to have started towards the end of a boardwalk when a man throws off his cap in a flamboyant gesture, seemingly anticipating a fight with another man
The throwing of a hat invites a blow to the head of the shirtless man, leading to ugly scenes
A man in red shorts charges into the action and tackles the black man to the ground as others join in
Post-fight photos shared on social media show men and women handcuffed on the boardwalk. Montgomery police said multiple arrests have been made
Post-fight photos shared on social media show a woman with her hands behind her back being led away from the riverbank in Alabama by a cop
Two men exchange blows to the head, before one gouges out the other’s eye.
A black man can be seen hitting the white man on the head with a chair. The black man then hits a white woman on the head with the chair, before being restrained and handcuffed by arriving officers.
A jeering crowd expresses a mixture of horror and joy at the unsettling scenes unfolding before them.
Photos shared on social media appear to show a group of white men handcuffed on the boardwalk, while others are led away from the scene by officers.
The altercation is being investigated by local police as they come through multiple videos from the public, as well as the City of Montgomery’s video surveillance.