Seven people have been charged after a violent night in Sydney's Kings Cross involving two separate brawls.
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Police said two groups were fighting on Bayswater Road and turned on police when they tried to intervene at about 2.30am on Sunday.
One man was cautioned and banned from the area after the fight.
Wild brawl on Bayswater Road Kings Cross. 7 people arrested. https://t.co/6rm43QpgOj #7News https://t.co/X3jFLnd0RP— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney)
November 22, 2015
About half an hour later, police patrolling the area were approached and threatened by other groups who swore at police and became violent.
"It was just the usual, people threatening to physically assault you or do horrible things to your family," said police inspector Pat Gooley.
Six arrests were made after police sprayed the alleged offenders with capsicum spray. They were charged with a range of offences, with two men, 21 and 19, charged with assaulting police.
In a third incident, police were called to another fight on Bayswater Road where police were again assaulted.
Party bus brought to halt in Kings Cross with two large brawls erupting, six people arrested. #9News pic.twitter.com/hK23WGdTta— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd)
November 22, 2015
Inspector Gooley said Kings Cross was packed over the weekend.
"It was a very crowded area last night. There were two opposing groups involved in the first fight, whether the next fight that happened involved the same people, I'm not sure," he said.
He said the combination of people celebrating the finish of school or university contributed to the large number of revellers.
"There were a lot of people out last night, with people ending university exams, older high school students finishing, and as we move into the festive season," Inspector Gooley said.
One male police officer suffered minor injuries to the hand and shoulder during the events.
Two large brawls broke out in Kings Cross overnight between police and revellers on board a party bus. #9News pic.twitter.com/jKq2Bz0uXk— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd)
November 22, 2015
The incidents buck the trend of decreasing violence overall in Kings Cross. Sydney's 1.30am lockout laws in Kings Cross and the CBD led to a 32 per cent decrease in the amount of alcohol-related violence in the area since their introduction.
30 businesses in the Cross have closed since the lockout was introduced in February last year, as Fairfax Media reported.
Andrew Lazarus, owner of the now-closed Soho nightclub on Victoria Street, said he was exchanging contracts to sell his site to an apartment developer.
"The Cross will never be an entertainment area again," he told a parliamentary inquiry on Friday.
