The NZ Herald reported:
Students protesting over education cuts moved down to Auckland's Queen Street after several arrests, before moving on to the Auckland police station.
Protestors broke through a police cordon and around 200 ended up sitting across the intersection of Queen and Victoria Streets chanting loudly.
Cars were hooting and tried unsuccessfully to get through.
The protestors then moved further up Queen Street before moving to the Auckland central police station.
Earlier, students said some of their number had clothes ripped as they were dragged away by police, during the latest protest in Auckland over tertiary education cuts.
Protestors then moved to Elliot Street and then to SkyCity with protestors utilizing social networking to effectively evade and outmaneuver the pigs. Many participants are now occupying Auckland central police station.
People are angry that austerity measures announced in last weeks budget will effect thousands of students, many of whom are part way through their post-graduate studies. The budget cuts will effectively mean they cannot continue their studies. National also increased the repayment threshold to 12% while it remains only 4% in Australia.
A similar protest Thursday week was criticized by Finance Minister Bill English:
"They need some Greeks to show them how to do it," English said.
Clearly the police were more prepared this time for the protest and moved quickly to try and close it down with a large show of force of over 100 officers in attendance.
The police will be itching to try out their new equipment and I wouldn't be surprised if they're more prepared next time just in case students decide to literally take English up on his challenge to riot like the Greeks.
