By Xinhua,
Wellington : Approximately 30 people were arrested early Sunday after riot police clashed with a crowd on the New Zealand southern city’s Dunedin.
The arrests followed a trouble-free day as students associated with the unofficial Undie 500, a Christchurch to Dunedin car run, partied around the city.
Inspector Lane Todd said police and the fire service were called to an incident involving a fire just after midnight, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
Around 300 people had gathered on Castle Street and some bottles and rocks were thrown at police.
Todd said police broke up the group and had cleared the road and dispersed the crowd within an hour.
The authorized Undie 500, organized by Canterbury University engineering students, was canceled this year, after last year’s riots and arrests.
Overnight Friday three Canterbury University students and two from Otago were arrested and charged — four for disorderly behavior and one for willful damage.
A group of about 40 rebel vehicles left Christchurch on Friday for Dunedin, defying the ban on the event.