Pasifika community frustrated after mass World Cup arrests
AUC K L A N D : Pasifika c ommuni t y le ader s h ave expressed their disappointment at the behaviour of fans after 53 people were arrested in Auckland for disorder offences following Tonga’s upset victory over New Zealand in the Rugby League World Cup on Saturday.
The Tongans became the first Tier Two nation to beat a Tier One team at the World Cup when they stormed back from a 16-2 halftime deficit to win the game 28-22.
The victory touched off raucous celebrations in south Auckland, with police having to make 53 arrests as revelers threw missiles, blocked roads, set off fireworks near a petrol station and stopped an ambulance from getting to a medical emergency.
“The violence ... it is just shocking. It is disgusting,” Auckland councillor Alf Filipaina, a former police officer, told Radio New Zealand on Sunday.
“These people don’t care about the rugby league. They just want to end up trying to look for fights.”
Filipaina and fellow councillor Fa’anana Efeso Collins have spoken out previously of concerns about behaviour amongst a minority of members of the Pasi f ika community in Auckland.
Tongan and Samoan fans clashed ahead of their game last week in Hamilton and police had issued warnings they would not tolerate any further outbreaks of disorder.
The Tonga match against the tournament co-hosts largely went off without any issues and police were happy with the behaviour of the crowd, Waikato District Commander Superintendent Bruce Bird said.
There had been just six arrests including two pitch invasions and 33 people evicted for a range of issues such as disorderly conduct and bringing in contraband, police said.
Disorder, however, erupted later in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, as people f looded onto the streets of Otahuhu, a predominantly Pasifika-populated area.
“As family groups, revelers and other sports fans moved away and headed home a hard core of people occupied the streets,” police spokesman Senior Sergeant Clive Wood said in a statement on Sunday.
“These people, who appeared to have no care for anyone’s welfare, didn’t think about the consequences of their actions and I do hope they take time out to reflect on how badly they behaved.” — Reuters