1979: The Moerewa Riot
August 3, 2025
By AHNZ
Today in Northland, August 3, 1979, Moerewa was a warzone. 3 Rival gangs battled it out: The Stormtroopers vs. New Zealand Police and the Fire Department.
Stormtroopers are a Maori gang that emerged from the government slums designed for diversity and harmony but which achieved the opposite of the intended result as government programs always do.
These Government created slums in South Auckland which bred thugs who, in turn, now had to be fought hand-to-hand by government foot-soldiers.
What happened in overnight in Moerewa was a pivot point in our gang history. For the first time in modern history gangs openly attacked the public and police. This, of course, opened the door for politicians to create new anti-gang laws. Or, at the very least, old laws with all new names.
“The State changed its mind about its new cheap worker plantation 20 years later and began ‘dawn raiding’ the new subculture it had created. The generation who moved to Otara were hard workers and grateful of the gifts of civilisation but their Boomer kids were disaffected and disconnected from having their own identity. Within only 10 years the plantation became the locus of crime, poverty, and gang violence to inspire films such as Once Were Warriors.” – 1952: The Otara Project, AHNZ
“Police officers were separated and beaten. One was grabbed and punched and kicked by six gang members. Others fared worse. A police van was set on fire and a police officer and gang members attempted to throw Senior Sergeant Charles O’Hara into it, chanting “burn the bastard” as O’Hara called out “mercy, mercy!” He was eventually rescued by his colleagues and members of the local volunteer fire brigade.” – The Moerewa Riot – the biggest incident in NZ gang history, Jarrod Gilbert Blog (2021)
“Several people were injured – among them a policeman beaten and kicked nearly to death, another bashed and almost forced into a police paddy wagon the rioters had set on fire while others suffered burns, smashed teeth and broken bones.” – Inside the New Zealand gang fortress, NZ Herald (2013)
According to Gilbert this event was the Second Pivot Point in New Zealand gang history.
Stormtroopers from Auckland had attacked come to the area, joining up with other members of their gang who were local. It was a “revenge” trip to find and strike back at another gang, Black Power, who they never found. A remnant of about 40 kept trying to flush out the foe and it was about half of these who investigated the Okiwa Hotel. The investigation consisted of smashing 24 windows, overturning pool tables, breaking snooker cues, and throwing a stool into a jukebox. This group of 20 then met up with the rest of the 40 and proceeded to Moerewa where the major riot occurred.
The gang had come looking for a fight and found only booze and vandalism. So, they started kicking up the wasps nest by taking on a few members of New Zealand’s official State gang itself: The Police.
A pitched battle erupted between approximately 40 members of the Stormtroopers gang and 15 policemen united with another allie/rival government gang, The Firemen. The Moerewa Hotel carpark was left resembling a battlefield. Ref. Twenty-seven gang members arrested, The Press (1979,) Papers Past
A fire truck was attacked and smashed; The police van destroyed and made into a fire pyre which the Stormtroopers attempted to roast alive one of the Policemen upon! The gang had Improvised Incendiary Devices that would have, I assume, been created to use on Black Power. Once you’ve got an arsenal in your hands it’s shameful to have to deconstruct it again, defeated in purpose. They were looking for a fight so they made one. They chanted “Kill kill” as the Police and Firemen organised themselves and more boots on the ground to meet the invasion of Moerewa.
The gang members were described as carrying “machetes, chains, crowbars, bottles and lots of “weird instruments.” Ref. Police sergeant shot ‘charging’ gang leader in leg, Court told, Press (1979,) Papers Past
All in all, a horrible outbreak of violence that changed New Zealand’s perception of itself. It was, of course, a follow up to the The Haka Party Incident from 1 May of the same year. This was a violent, armed, ambush on graduating students at Auckland University. Only 5 years before we, with the Queen, were celebrating New Zealand Day at Waitangi together while singing and dancing about peace and love. Well, we buggered that right up. Ref. 1974: New Zealand Day at Waitangi, AHNZ
A major riot that “rattled not only the small town but the collective consciousness of the entire country.” says Gilbert (2013.) How did it come to this? I have an equation, or some bullet point notes:
New Zealand Military Rule of Samoa, 1914
-> Imported labour
-> Government urban projects, eg South Auckland
-> Treaty of Friendship, 1962
-> Slums
-> Dawn Raids
-> Disaffected youth
-> Gangs
-> Gang violence
-> Invasion of Moerewa township from Auckland, 1979
To understand the roots of how New Zealand had changed into a violent and separated place we need look only at the long term consequences of government policy. Without The State who would create the gangs?
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Image ref. AHNZ enhanced crop from The Moerewa Gang Riot – 1979, Inside New Zealand, Youtube (2019)
Ref. Patched, The History of Gangs in New Zealand, Jarrod Gilbert (2013)
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