Enough is Enough

Source: ODT, 27 Jun2 2008

"Thousands of Hawke's Bay residents fed up with gang violence marched from Flaxmere to central Hastings today bearing a banner declaring "Enough is Enough".

They banded together in response to a recent spate of violent home invasions and vicious unprovoked attacks in the area, which have been blamed on youth gangs and the Mongrel Mob.

Hastings district councillor Henare O'Keefe organised the 8km hikoi after masked men wearing red bandannas attacked his daughter's 21-year-old partner and forced their way into her home calling out "where's your missus?"

She was forced to hide her eight-week-old baby before confronting the men, who then left, apparently because she was not the person they were seeking, Mr O'Keefe told NZPA.

The turnout for the march was sensational, with people from all walks of life taking part, he said.

"Every class was represented on that hikoi. The fact that they turned up like that speaks volumes.

"If you saw this community today marching down the street and you were a perpetrator of crime, you would have to take notice."

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, who spoke during the hikoi, said people were sick of gang violence and the day offered them a chance to express their frustration.

"I've certainly had enough of it and I gave a very strong message to the gangs that they need to behave themselves because people are not going to tolerate the sort of violence we have seen in the past four weeks. It's against innocent people and it's unprovoked," he told NZPA....."