Massive brawl breaks out on Alabama dock as dispute over boat parking leads to melee with men, women and folding chairs

Shocking video footage shows the moment a mass fight broke out between a group of whites and blacks by a river in Alabama, with a woman seen being hit in the head with a chair.

A witness claimed the scuffle started with an argument over a pontoon boat blocking the dock where a river boat was trying to moor.

Video shared on social media shows gruesome scenes of violence spreading, with parties seemingly divided on racial lines – although it’s not yet clear whether the melee was aggravated by race.

Men are seen gouging out their eyes and throwing punches at each other’s heads, while a woman lies on the ground as a man smashes a chair over her head in a vicious assault.

A man is even seen swimming across the river to join the fracas.

The pair trade punches to the head before one is seen gouging out the other’s eye

Onlookers pile in as a fight breaks out over a seemingly innocuous dispute over a motorboat blocking a larger riverboat

The fight appears to have taken place between a group of whites and a group of blacks – although it is not yet clear if the altercation was racially escalated

The men can be seen gouging out their eyes in front of a barking crowd, with some expressing their horror while others encourage the fight

A man can be seen smashing another man over the head with a chair as he tries to escape

The action takes place in front of surprised passengers sitting on a river boat moored on the river

The same man is later seen smashing a woman’s head with a chair as she sits on the ground

The man is then restrained and handcuffed by cops arriving at the scene

Montgomery police said they responded to reports of disturbances at the riverfront around 7 p.m. Saturday.

Several people have been arrested and charges are pending, the department added.

Footage appears to show the start of the fight in a fight between a white man and a black man at the end of the boardwalk.

In a flamboyant gesture, the black man throws his cap into a crowd watching above, seemingly in anticipation of a fight.

The scenes quickly turn sour as the hat throw invites a punch to the head of the shirtless white man.

The pair exchange blows before another white man in red shorts tackles the black man to the ground, before several more join the fray.

Some seem to be trying to break up the fight, while others are also throwing punches.

At this point, a black man can be seen swimming across the river to climb onto the boardwalk.

In separate footage, a group of black men are seen approaching a group of white people 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 with her attacker encouraged by those filming the fight.

Another video shows the fight spreading to the center of the boardwalk, outside a larger boat called Harriott II.

The fight appears to have started towards the end of a walk as a man throws down his cap in a flamboyant gesture, apparently anticipating a fight with another man.

Hat throw invites punch to shirtless man’s head, sparking ugly scenes

A man in red shorts charges into the action and tackles the black man to the ground as others join in

Photos shared on social media after the fight show men and women handcuffed on the promenade. Montgomery police say multiple arrests have been made

Photos shared on social media after the fight show a woman with her hands behind her back being led away from the edge of the Alabama River by a cop

Two men exchange punches in the head, before one slashes the other’s eye.

A black man can be seen hitting the white man on the head with a chair. The black man then crushes a white woman over the head with the chair, before being restrained and handcuffed by the arriving cops.

A barking crowd expresses a mixture of horror and joy at the disturbing scenes unfolding before them.

Photos shared on social media appear to show a group of white men sitting on the promenade in handcuffs, with others being led off the stage by officers.

The altercation is being investigated by local police as it goes through multiple videos provided by the public, as well as City of Montgomery CCTV.