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The controversial Undie 500 has outlived its welcome in Dunedin and the city's mayor and Dunedin North MP Pete Hodgson want to put an end to the rally.
Dunedin police were forced to don riot gear and use pepper spray to disperse student mobs during overnight partying after the rally arrived in the city.
About 20 have been arrested after more than 600 people pelted officers with bottles, bricks and bicycle parts in the student stronghold of North Dunedin.
Seventy officers took about two hours to disperse the students.
The annual Undie 500 event, organised by Canterbury University engineering students, involves a pub crawl from Christchurch to Dunedin, in cars worth under $500.
This is the third consecutive year the rally has led to disorder.
Hodgson told Radio New Zealand on Saturday it was time to put a stop to the event.
Mayor Peter Chin said the Undie 500 wasn't welcome in the city and suggested the Canterbury students trashed their own city instead.
It's not just police and the Mayor who are anxious about the event, Dunedin residents are bracing themselves for Saturday night, which is traditionlly the worst of the two undie 500 nights.
"While I can understand a fire is exciting, I dont condone that sort of behaviour. I can't comprehend someone wanting to throw a bottle at another human being," said one resident.
However, University of Canterbury vice-chancellor Rod Carr noted that no Canterbury students were among those arrested in Dunedin on Friday night and he urged them to stay out of trouble on Saturday night.
Carr warned the students that anyone identified by the police as being involved in illegal behaviour will face consequences. In extreme cases this could include exclusion from the university.
"First and foremost we expect our students to follow the laws of the land, and we support the police in taking action against any student involved in criminal behaviour.
"We have made it very clear to the organisers of the Undie 500, the Engineering Students' Society of Canterbury (ENSOC), and the students who registered to take part in the event that we will not tolerate illegal behaviour.
"My advice to our students who are still in Dunedin is to have a good time tonight, but stay out of trouble and keep your mates out of trouble because we know who you are and we'd rather not have to talk to you about your trip to Dunedin."
This year the event was re-named a charity drive with proceeds going to three local charities. But attempts to change the spirit of the event could not curb Friday night's behaviour.
The event had previously caused headaches for Dunedin police left to control riotous behaviour at the end of the trip.
Last year's official Undie 500 was cancelled after rioting in the city resulted in 69 arrests the previous year.
However, an unofficial version of the event still ran and 30 arrests were made after another round of disorder.
Dunedin Area Commander Inspector Dave Campbell said most of Saturday night's action centred in the three blocks around Castle Street, with mobs setting furniture and piles of rubbish on fire in Castle and Leith streets .
One officer was hit in the head and knocked down with a hurled bottle, and would have been seriously injured if not for his helmet, he said.
Flying bottles hit two or three other people, who had to be taken away by ambulance for treatment.
Campbell said there will be a boosted police presence this weekend and anyone arrested will gain a criminal record, due to a no-diversion policy.
"We're encouraging those involved to enjoy themselves within the bounds of the law," he said.
Those arrested faced a variety of charges, ranging from disorderly behaviour and breaching the liquor ban to wilfully setting fire to property.
Has the Undie 500 become more trouble than it's worth? Does it matter who did or didn't start the trouble? Were the police to hard or not hard enough in dealing with the trouble? Have your say on the messageboard below.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentBevan white said on 2010-04-03 @ 14:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
the event Should just be band with no excuses its not a tradition, or something to be justified and made to look legitimate. It is an event for drunken (and whatever drug problem may be hidden within) disorder, ruining a good reputation, rioting and terrible aftermath and no certain group or university is the course of the undie 500 disorder all are accountable for whoever encourages the mayhem by attending the event. Hands down NOOOOO I mean come on, NOOOOO
mcd56 said on 2010-04-03 @ 12:32 NZDT: Report abusive post
Good work ENSOC keep the tradition alive from the PC crap that dominates todays society! The Undie 500 is not about riots, it's about creativity and spending time with mates. Rallying to a paddock with bands and DJs would be better than Dunedin if turned into a 'Phat' style concert for UC students.
shandoa said on 2009-09-18 @ 10:18 NZDT: Report abusive post
Our privileged intelligentsia!!! Interests me that the university heads watch this with nil intervention.
Skorpeon said on 2009-09-17 @ 20:47 NZDT: Report abusive post
I think its a tradition, I remember the riots back in the 80's. Yes I was there, and I remember the main reason the Riots started were because the Police closed all the pubs and forced all the people into the streets all at the same time. Of course they all migrated to the next pub, but the event at that time coincided with the Easter Tournie. Did the tradition begin then?
Richard7666 said on 2009-09-17 @ 18:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
If they don't have it in Dunedin, I think Invercargill would probably be the next most likely destination; it's the only other city in the SI with substantial student numbers. Or maybe Queenstown will be in line for a wrecking, being a party town and all. My money is on one of those two. And good point about the spelling, Philo.