Earlier, police revealed they would be drafting tactical squads, investigators and frontline staff from across the district into the troubled community to tackle the violence.
Acting Tairāwhiti area commander Inspector Darren Paki called the brawl “appalling” and police expected there to be multiple arrests this weekend.
“Thankfully nobody was seriously injured or killed in this event, but it is sadly another shocking event that our community didn’t need.”
Paki said police had identified about two dozen people, with the majority being gang members. He said this included members and associates of the Mongrel Mob.
He said they vary in age but “all of them are old enough to know what’s acceptable”.
Paki said there would be a “noticeable police presence across Wairoa to ensure that gang members are held to account.
“We are not tolerating this behaviour in our community and police will be making that message very clear to gangs over the coming days and weeks.”
A pregnant woman also caught up in the brawl said she rushed to pull her young nephews out of a vehicle, as a crowd surrounded it and smashed its windows.
She said people involved in an original brawl between teenagers tried to prevent the car from leaving, causing the car to veer into another parked vehicle and also hit a number of people.
Video footage obtained by the Herald showed a woman becoming trapped between the two vehicles.
Although it was not intentional, the incident sparked anger among the crowd; with several Mongrel Mob members then attacking her brother, still inside, and kicking and punching the car – despite screams that there were children inside.
The woman said her brother suffered a stab wound to one of his hands. Another brother who was outside suffered a stab wound to one of his shoulders, she said.