'One woman knocked another to the ground' A resident filmed as the brawl broke out on the street below his apartment. One resident nearby said he woke to screaming and shouting, and from his balcony filmed as a woman knocked another to the ground. In the footage, police can be seen sprinting towards the pair and heard repeatedly shouting "go home". The brawls, he said, lasted for at least half an hour and police were moving between different locations trying to break up separate fights.

"There was a bunch of smaller skirmishes. It looked like there was a lot of people around and I think there were a lot of people fighting in a lot of different places," the man said. Police are still investigating the cause of the brawl that involved up to 30 people. Credit:Channel Nine Acting Inspector Steve Hodges said police thought the various fights were connected, but it was not known how the men and women involved knew each other, if they had been inside the concert venue or had just gathered in the area. "From what I understand, the majority of the persons involved were of an African descent," Acting Inspector Hodges said. "Whether it was two separate groups or two groups within a group, that's all part of what we're trying to find out."

At the time the fights started, it is believed a concert raising money for cyclone-devastated Fiji had just ended and crowds spilled onto the streets. Police initially said 200 people were involved in the brawls, but later dramatically reduced that figure to 30 people. Two men, aged 24 and 18, have been charged with assault police and resist police and two others issued with infringement notices for offensive behaviour. A NSW Ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the scene and one person was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. Night of violence on Sydney streets

In a separate earlier incident only a few hundred metres away, a 29-year-old man was taken to hospital after being assaulted by a group of three men. Emergency services were called to George Street, near Market Street, about 12.45am and treated the man for facial injuries. And in another overnight brawl, three men were involved in a fight at a restaurant on Avoca Street in Randwick about 1.44am. Police said a 25-year-old British national punched a 31-old-man several times in the head and face. An unknown bystander also started attacking the man, who fell to the ground with a broken nose. "The 25-year-old man then punched the second man to the face and head which resulted in him falling to the ground unconscious," police said.

The two injured men refused to be treated by paramedics. The 25-year-old has been charged with affray and will face court in April. It comes about 24 hours after a group of women celebrating a hen's night were attacked outside a Hungry Jack's on George Street, just after midnight on Saturday. Two men, aged 43 and 44, have been charged and are also due to appear in court in April. Acting Inspector Hodges said he did not the think the weekend had been any more violent than others in recent weeks. "I think that because of the location here in the city there's a lot more media attention but to me, personally, I possibly would not dictate that it is much different to any other weekend I have worked in recent times but it does depend on the weekend," he said.

Police Minister Troy Grant sought to shut down any criticism of lock-out laws, saying all evidence suggested they had reduced violence. "Disgraceful incidents like last night unfortunately do occur, and the police are well equipped to deal with the thugs involved," he said. Do you know more? Email mkembrey@fairfaxmedia.com.au