Two women caught on camera fighting in packed street whilst onlookers plead for security during family-friendly parade
A violent street brawl between two women has shocked revellers at Notting Hill Carnival’s designated children’s day, with footage of the incident sparking outrage on social media as arrests at the festival soared to 140 on Sunday alone.
The disturbing video, uploaded to TikTok, shows two young women trading blows in the middle of a packed street during what was meant to be the carnival’s family-friendly parade day. The brawling pair can be seen grappling, pulling each other’s hair and throwing punches as horrified onlookers shout “Where is security?” whilst carnival music continues to blare in the background.
Sunday’s incident occurred during the traditionally calmer children’s day parade, which features family-friendly activities and events accompanied by street dancing designed specifically for younger carnival-goers. Friends of the fighting women attempted to intervene and break up the altercation as crowds pressed in around them.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told reporters: “It doesn’t appear this incident was brought to officers’ attention at the time. We’re also not aware of any subsequent reports or allegations from the parties involved.”
The street fight comes amid a significant spike in arrests at this year’s carnival, with Metropolitan Police confirming that 140 people were detained on Sunday as of 8pm – a dramatic 40 per cent increase from the previous year’s figure of 104 arrests on the opening day. Of the total arrests, 105 took place at the carnival itself, whilst 35 occurred on approaches to the event.
The force revealed that 13 of the approach arrests resulted from their controversial deployment of live facial recognition technology – a new system being used at the carnival which captures people’s faces on real-time CCTV cameras. The technology has proven effective, according to Commander Charmain Brenyah, who noted it had led to more than 1,000 arrests across London since the start of 2024.
Sunday’s troubling scenes extended beyond the women’s brawl. More than half a dozen police officers were spotted carrying one man who appeared to be resisting arrest near Portobello Road on Sunday afternoon. Shortly beforehand, officers had been conducting a stop-and-search on a young man who had been placed in handcuffs nearby.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers had been assaulted during Sunday’s festivities, with 24 incidents recorded. A police spokesperson said: “The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes,” adding that one officer sustained injuries to their hand requiring hospital treatment.
The carnival, which attracts approximately two million attendees over the bank holiday weekend, has long been a flashpoint for debate over public safety. Dating back to 1966, the event celebrates Caribbean culture and is recognised as Europe’s largest street festival. However, it has consistently recorded high levels of violent crime compared to other major UK festivals.
Historical data reveals the scale of the challenge facing police. In 2023, officers made 275 arrests, including 40 for sexual offences, whilst 75 police officers were assaulted. The event that year also saw 10 stabbings. Between 2017 and 2023, Metropolitan Police recorded 47 stabbings at the carnival – an average of nine per year.
The policing operation comes at significant cost to taxpayers. In 2023 alone, the Metropolitan Police spent £11.7 million on carnival security. This year’s operation involved pre-emptive measures, with 100 people arrested and dozens of weapons seized in the weeks leading up to the event. Officers recovered 11 firearms and more than 40 knives during these operations, whilst 21 individuals were recalled to prison.
Rick Prior, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, expressed serious concerns about officer safety at the event. “Officers work approximately 30 to 40 hours over the two days, which can have a significant impact on their wellbeing,” he said. We are also extremely concerned about the public who attend the event being victims of crime that officers feel powerless to prevent due to the sheer number of attendees.
The Federation recently published a 24-page dossier documenting officers’ experiences at the carnival, with one officer commenting: “The event seems to run, in terms of success, by the number of murders that are had. That, to me, is astonishing.”
Sunday traditionally serves as the carnival’s family day, featuring a shorter parade route designed for young people. The day begins with the J’Ouvert celebration at 6am, followed by an official opening ceremony at 10am and the children’s parade. The “Dutty Mas” or “Fun Mas” parade also takes place, where participants throw coloured paints and powder at spectators.
As night fell on Sunday, a Met Police spokesperson said: “The policing operation for the first full day of Notting Hill Carnival has moved into the dispersal phase as crowds head home from the event. A significant number of officers remain in the area to deal with any incidents.”
The cleanup operation began immediately, with Kensington and Chelsea Council deploying more than 180 cleaners and 45 waste collection vehicles. The council expects to clear more than 300 tonnes of rubbish across the weekend, aiming to have the borough’s streets clean again by Tuesday morning.
Monday’s adult parade, which features the main carnival procession, was expected to draw even larger crowds. Police maintained additional powers throughout the bank holiday weekend, including enhanced stop-and-search capabilities and dispersal orders.
The carnival’s organisers have faced mounting pressure to address safety concerns. Commander Brenyah acknowledged that whilst some funding had been secured to implement recommendations from an independent crowd safety review, “they have had limited time to do so meaning despite everyone’s best efforts it’s inevitable not all the risks will have been mitigated.”
The Britannia Daily has approached the Metropolitan Police for further comment regarding the video of the two women fighting.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
