4 days ago
Police were ready for 'senseless and mindless' people on anniversary of Levin violence
Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden.
Photo:
RNZ / Angus Dreaver
[xlert]Hundreds of people and cars descended on Levin overnight, driving recklessly and disrupting the community - mayor
Hundreds of people and cars descended on Levin overnight, driving recklessly and disrupting the community, the Horowhenua District Mayor says.
Mayor Bernie Wanden said Friday night was the anniversary of an illegal gathering
that turned violent a year ago
, and there had been rumours a crowd would return.
He said a large contingent
turned up in Levin on Friday evening
.
"Estimated to be over 1000 people. It turned a little ugly, they deliberately tried to incite and taunt police, tried to provoke them by running into one of their vehicles, setting off fireworks and things like that," he said.
"Police were able to break up that gathering, but they had been there for a while - you could hear it throughout the town. They then broke up and went out into different parts of the region and into Palmerston North, before returning to Levin in the early morning and finally breaking up about three o'clock.
"Quite a long night for police and emergency people that had to deal with a number of senseless and mindless people who were just there to create as much mayhem as they could."
Wanden said police were aware of the gathering and had prepared for it.
"We had drones and the Eagle helicopter was deployed around the town, [police] were well supported by that back-up and their ability to be able to break up and then move accordingly was really helpful.
"While there were no serious incidents, I do believe some bystanders had been injured through the night, which is really unfortunate, but fortunately no police injuries or anything like that."
A
video posted to social media
showed police standing in formation with shields and body armour, across the highway at the central Queen Street and Oxford Street shops, with multiple sirens heard and many thick dark tyre skid marks seen in circles on the intersection in front of them.
On 1 June, 2024, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent, with a crowd blocking the town's main street and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them.
RNZ has approached police for comment.
Earlier this month, the
government announced stiffer punishments
for those convicted of offences related to boy-racing, and for drivers who fail to stop for police.
Those caught doing burnouts or taking part in unauthorised street racing or intimidating convoys faced vehicle destruction as a presumptive sentence, while fines for making excess noise from a vehicle were also raised.
At the time of the announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing "idiot drivers" put the community at risk.
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