CINCINNATI — Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement Monday he is "outraged" by the viral clips showing a violent fight in downtown Cincinnati over the weekend.
"I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown," Pureval said. "It is horrifying to watch, and this unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community. That’s not who we are as a city."
Videos shared to social media early Saturday morning show dozens of people involved in a fight in the street. At one point, a man can be seen being chased into the road before he is kicked and stomped on by several other people. The man can be seen with visible scrapes on his face and a bloody nose.
Hear more from Pureval and other city and national leaders in the video below:
Clips also show a woman punching another woman in the head as people appear to be separating people. After the punch, a man can also be seen punching the woman in her face, causing her to fall to the ground. The woman appeared to be unconscious, with blood coming from her mouth. A group helps her up as she begins to regain consciousness.
You can see the graphic video and several other posts sharing similar videos from the fight here.
WATCH: Downtown business owners react to violent videos of fight
Pureval said he has been in contact with Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge, who previously said in a statement that CPD's team is "working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm."
"Based on the investigation and the urgent work of our police, I am confident that arrests are forthcoming," Pureval said in his statement. "For that reason, we are making every effort to allow our officers to do their job and present formal results to the public, rather than engaging with early speculation."
While what happened before the fight remains unclear, Pureval said officials believe the incident was not connected to any of the major events downtown, including Cincinnati Music Festival, the Cincinnati Reds game or Big3 tournament.
"Let me be clear: Cincinnati is an inclusive city where all can come together to enjoy major events in our urban core. ... I want to thank our law enforcement for their thorough work, both to investigate this incident and to keep folks safe throughout our city this weekend," the statement says.
Mayoral candidate Cory Bowman posted videos from the fight and posted an official statement calling for "the immediate resignation or removal of City Manager Sheryl Long," and pushed for voters to "make their voices heard" in the November election.
"Immediate action is needed to show residents and businesses that these intolerable conditions will be addressed swiftly," the statement says. "Without such action, more valued businesses and residents may leave our neighborhoods."
