A woman was punched in the face as she tried to separate two men fighting near Ilford train station yesterday.
A spokesman for Redbridge Police said the 19-year-old attempted to break up the fight in Ilford Hill at around 4.40pm but was not seriously injured.
Officers on patrol came across large crowds gathering to see the punch-up by the junction with Cranbrook Road and intervened.
A 26-year-old man from Ilford and 36-year-old man from Plaistow have been arrested for affray.
The Plaistow man was taken to an east London hospital for treatment for a cut hand.
A third man was arrested for assaulting police but declined to give his personal details.
Schoolchildren were among the crowds watching the fight and witnesses reported up to 20 police cars at the scene.
Queues of traffic tailed back along Cranbrook Road and Ilford Hill while emergency services dealt with the incident.
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