Santas run riot in Auckland

[rooboy]

About 40 drunken Santas rioted in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland, robbing stores, toppling garbage bins, smashing bottles and assaulting security guards.

Wearing Santa Claus costumes, they rampaged yesterday afternoon through central city streets and vandalised a giant Christmas tree in the foyer of the Sky City Casino, the Herald on Sunday reported.

They were taking part in an organised example of "Santarchy", Alex Dyer told the paper, describing it as "a worldwide phenomenon designed to dismantle the commercialisation of Christmas".

Three men were arrested on charges of being drunk and disorderly, and two security guards needed medical treatment for cuts after being hit with beer bottles.

One storekeeper told the paper that the Santas walked into his shop, said "Merry Christmas" and then helped themselves to beer and soft drinks.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/santas-run-riot-in-auckland/2005/12/18/1134840729462.html

[tularetom]

1. That loud noise you just heard

was dild o'reilly's big giant head exploding.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. I wondered what that explosion was . . .

"Excellent. Smithers, release the robotic Santas!"

[Mr_Spock]

2. lol - that's a riot!

:D

[nashville_brook]

4. damn anarch-NICK-ists

god i love this story. photos dammit!

[beam me up scottie]

5. That'll send a bunch of kids into therapy.

:rofl:

[TomInTib]

6. We actually had "Santarchy" here. But without the violence.

Thank heavens. Can you imagine what They would have made of a Drunken Santa Riot in SAN FRANCISCO?

[beam me up scottie]

7. I shudder to think.

I'll bet you guys see some interesting Santas though...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. Assholes.

If they're so concerned about Christmas, they'd find a Christian way to de-emphasize commercialization. Then it would dismantle itself.

[nine23]

9. We had "Santarchy" here in Vancouver as well...

...but again, like San Francisco, without the violence. It was actually just a massive bar-hop/piss-up, with about 150 "Santas" hitting about 10 different bars downtown (much larger than Auckland by the sounds of it, and they picked up new "Santas" along the way...)

Because it was just a big non-violent piss-up, with an emphasis on "happy", they made their point, had fun, and probably picked up some "new recruits" for next year. The only complaints came from using that fake snow-in-a-can to graffiti-up the city (no biggie).

As the story stated, it is a "a worldwide phenomenon designed to dismantle the commercialisation of Christmas". I actually tend to agree with it and find it hilarious; it's just too bad some "chapters" like NZ fuck it up and give it a bad name.

[melody]

10. There's a novel morning after excuse for a toot, if ever I heard one

:hangover:

[Hyernel]

11. I hope no Hobbits got trampled!!

:bounce:

[pookieblue]

12. well at least they said Merry Christmas

and not Happy Holdays.

:sarcasm: