Victim of baby shower brawl charged with affray
FIRST ON 7: CCTV has revealed the moment a baby shower turned into a brawl at a Chinese restaurant in Bondi Junction.
Up to 10 people were involved and some used chairs as weapons during the Valentines Day fracas.
So far only one person has been charged, the victim.
Junchi Ma was punched, shoved, humiliated and had soup thrown in his face before reacting.
He has now been charged with affray.
The CCTV shows one man walking from one side of Bondi Junction's Zilver restaurant to the other to confront another man who looks to be minding his own business.
A third man, sensing the aggression, tries to intervene.
The victim, in a yellow shirt, is seen sitting down and kissing a lady on the cheek.
While Mr Ma is not looking he is clobbered by another man in the restaurant.
Mr Ma tries to stand up, when a fourth man in black turns aggressive.
A fifth man throws soup from behind the group.
Other patrons start to pick up chairs and the brawl begins.
Cups are thrown and another full bowl of soup is hurled against a window.
Another man in red starts laying into someone, the initial victim in yellow, tries to protect him.
He then launches into the man who attacked him in the first place, as a woman swings her jacket around trying to restore calm.
The man in yellow, Chinese national Junchi Ma, has another go as the singlet-clad first attacker and almost comically holds a balloon - meant for the baby - to protect himself.
A friend tries to calm him and for a while as he wipes blood from his nose.
A chair is then smashed into someone's head as another chair is hurled among the warring parties.
The fighting continues as patrons grab whatever they can from tables, throwing food and drink, in return copping a volley of chairs over and over again.
Witnesses have told police a baby was nearly hit by one of the chairs.
The brawl lasted a total of four minutes.
Police are seeking up to ten men, but have only charged one.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
