The police became aggressive towards protestors
Confrontations between rugby supporters and anti-Springbok tour protesters in New Zealand grew increasingly violent as the 1981 tour progressed. The New Zealand Herald online, in an article called ‘NZ memories: Protests during the Springboks tour' By John Roughan it says, “The tour started and ended at Auckland Airport. The night the Springboks arrived, the police lining the perimeter were in ordinary uniform, facing hundreds of protesters in jeans and anoraks. And the night the team left, police were in helmets with visors down and carried long batons and riot shields. The protesters wore crash helmets and extra clothing for padding against baton blows.” Scenes of violence and bloodied protesters occurred at nearly every game and peaked in the final test at Eden Park. When protesters broke through barricades at Hamilton, occupied the field and forced the cancellation of a match, police regrouped and riot squads were formed to manage conflict. Police became equipped with long batons, helmets, and riot shields. Two small police units most commonly known as the Red Squad and the Blue Squad were created to escort the Springboks. To protesters, these squads came to represent brutal state violence, but to others, the upholding of law and order. 1981 was an historic year in the history of the New Zealand protest movement. The anti-Springbok tour demonstrations of that year not only saw record numbers protesting on the streets throughout the country, but also saw a level of militancy which is not frequently witnessed in this country. This triggered more aggressive police action. As protection for the Springboks, these squads were issued with visored riot helmets and long batons. The violence that police used against protestors resulted in their being a lack of trust of the police force by New Zealander's after the tour. This is because the police induced alot of injuries. Skulls were fractured, blood spilt on the pavement and serious injuries suffered by protesters. Therefore, many New Zealand citizens attitudes changed towards the police as they saw the extent of brutality and ferocity that they used to control the disorderly crowds.