Hamburg, May 10 (IANS/DPA): Police are investigating two women on suspicion of assault after a fight broke out in the crowd following a lecture about anti-Semitism at the University of Hamburg in northern Germany.

Several heckling incidents had already broken out during the talk entitled "Hostility towards Jews, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism - current forms of anti-Jewish violence."

That led to an argument between the 56-year-old wife of the lecturer and several members of the audience after the end of the event on Wednesday, the police said in a statement published on Friday.

The lecturer's wife was punched in the face by a woman whom police described as a 26-year-old from Somalia. The older woman fought back with kicking and biting. Both women were injured in the altercation, according to police.

"While the 56-year-old had her facial injury treated on-site by an ambulance crew and later sought medical treatment on her own, the younger woman decided not to seek medical treatment for her injuries," the police added.

The police have initiated criminal proceedings against both women on suspicion of assault.