Whangamatā Riots: Police Kick Youths in the Back as Riot Officers Descend in Rebel Mass

Police are defending their use of force to dispel hundreds of drunk teenagers in riots in Whangamatā after a video emerged of an officer kicking a young man in the back.

A night of violence follows at the New Years Christmas hotspot that resulted in 23 arrests and left young women with cuttings from thrown bottles.

As police in riot gear advance towards the crowd, the new video shows an officer kicking a young man sitting on a fence post in the small of the back.

The person is sent to the ground.

Police said that while the video was not pleasant to watch, the rioters received ample warning to move forward and are on the lookout for the officer’s actions.

Last night at least a dozen young people climbed onto the roof of the Blackies Cafe wreaking havoc, with some glass bottles being thrown at the cops below.

Thousands of dollars in stock were stolen and there are fears that the roof is so damaged that it has to be replaced.

Twenty-three people have already been arrested throughout Whangamatā as a result of the incident and other outbreaks of disorder in Coromandel City.

The latest arrest was a 54-year-old local man accused of inciting disorderly behavior in connection with a live broadcast on social media.

East Waikato Area Commander Inspector Dean Anderson reviewed footage of the kick and is comfortable with the measures police used.

He told the Herald that while it was not desirable, force was sometimes needed under the circumstances.

The short clip didn’t look good but it didn’t represent the full context, he said.

“It is most likely very, very difficult to say that they didn’t know what was coming.”

Red and blue police lights were flashing while a warning was given about six times, he said.

“That was an individual who sat there obviously defying police instructions.

“I have no doubt. I was there. The megaphone was used repeatedly.”

The instructions were clear, he said, that if they did not move they would be forcibly removed.

The reason the police acted to clear the space was that several girls had been carried out with nasty lacerations to the head that bled heavily, he said.

“That was it for us. Plus the property damage. They had gone too far.

“It is time for them to move on.”

There were a few thousand people congregating in the area, Anderson said, while inside the park just over 15 police officers were facing a rebel horde.

Most of the police officers were hit with bottles that left bruises on their legs, but serious injuries were avoided by sheer luck, he said.

The number of bottles thrown at the police was “considerable”.

Anderson said the number of teens confidently and openly carrying alcohol within the no-alcohol area was disappointing.

However, some young people apologized to the police and thanked them for their intervention, he said.

“Obviously there was a smaller group that was antagonistic and certainly disorderly, violent and with the intention of destroying property.”

There was a large amount of video material available online and police would be reviewing the footage to identify those responsible for the damage, he said.

The police were disappointed in the Whangamatā community.

“Unfortunately, when we are required to intervene we will.”

Thames Coromandel Mayor Sandra Goudie told Newstalk ZB that the youths involved were nothing more than “self-indulgent brats” who had been drinking at home and emerged to cause trouble later when they were “bored.”

Goudie said it is possible that an event for teens in the future could prevent similar behavior.

“That’s a good way to do it, I think, because it gives them something to focus on so they can put their energy into dancing and just hanging out with their peers …

“However, this is at odds with some of the locals who don’t want that kind of activity there.”

It became a judgment call and part of that was that they didn’t want to have anything that could incite violent or aggressive behavior from these young people, he said.