Somerville nightspot cancels New Year’s Eve party in wake of fight involving a dozen women

By Sarah N. Mattero and Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondents

A Somerville nightspot has cancelled its New Year’s Eve party under pressure from city officials after a fight involving up to a dozen women broke out Thursday night, triggering a major response from Somerville, State and Medford police, city officials said.

In a statement, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said that he has marshalled the city’s enforcement agencies into taking a close look at the Night Games, in the Holiday Inn on Washington Street.

“We are taking all available steps to prevent something of this nature from occurring within our borders in the future,’’ the mayor said. “Somerville has been lauded for its innovation, our incredible and diverse restaurant scene, our various artist communities, and so many more vibrant and positive issues.’’

Curtatone said he would not allow the melee to cast a shadow on the city’s reputation, and that the issue will be reviewed by the city’s Licensing Board, which could pull the nightspot’s licenses.

Curtatone said in the statement that the Night Games had agreed to cancel its New Year’s Eve party at the Holiday Inn in the wake of the fight.

“We have been in contact with the management of the Holiday Inn, who have agreed to cancel its New Year’s Eve event at Night Games pending the outcome of these discussions,’’ the mayor said.

Terri Almond, general manager of the Holiday Inn Boston-Somerville, in statement acknowledged that the club had needed police assistance to quell the disturbance and issued an apology.

“We are fully cooperating with police and will not tolerate any sort of disruption of the peace on our property,’’ Almond said in the statement. “We apologize to our Somerville neighbors for this disturbance; this is not acceptable behavior from the city’s perspective and certainly not from ours.’’

The fight started between 10 or 12 women just after midnight, said Somerville Deputy Police Chief Paul Upton.

“There were several hundred people either in the lounge or parking lot that we had to move along,” Upton said.

Daphne Evans, 21, Dorchester and Shaneze Franklin, 20, of Dorchester, were arrested and charged with participating in an affray, he said.

State Police and Medford police were also called to help disperse the large crowd.

“We closed the place down because of the fight going on inside, and it was getting near closing time anyway,” Upton said. “Management made the decision that they wanted to get everyone out of there.”

The incident is still under investigation by Somerville Police, the mayor’s office said.