The police police were a key group in the protest actions surrounding the 1981 Springbok tour. Namely, the red squad which were the infamous riot control group which were given the task of keeping the protesters at bay during the rugby tour. The actions of police and more specifically the 'Red Squad' caused a rift in the nation resulting in civil disorder on a large scale, making a lot of the protests more violent then initially intended.
There is a view upheld that the police had no choice, and that they were just cynically used for a political objective and were given no choice but to use harsh tactics to counter the actions of the protesters. "To this day I still defend that police action. We had no choice. We were the meat in the sandwich - fail and the institutions of the State would have been emasculated by a competing brute force. But the police were cynically used for a political objective."
It is argued that the 'Red Squad' were vilified by the protest movement as well as the media. They argue that it wasn't the Red Squad who invited the Springbok's to New Zealand.
There is a view upheld that the police had no choice, and that they were just cynically used for a political objective and were given no choice but to use harsh tactics to counter the actions of the protesters. "To this day I still defend that police action. We had no choice. We were the meat in the sandwich - fail and the institutions of the State would have been emasculated by a competing brute force. But the police were cynically used for a political objective."
It is argued that the 'Red Squad' were vilified by the protest movement as well as the media. They argue that it wasn't the Red Squad who invited the Springbok's to New Zealand.