Skip to main content

Story: Gangs

Black Power

Black Power

Black Power members gather in August 2009 to protest against a bylaw which banned gang patches in the city of Whanganui. They are not wearing their patches but many are dressed in the gang colour, blue. The Prohibition of Gang Insignia bylaw gave police powers to fine patch wearers $2,000 and to confiscate gang insignia if worn in the central city or other specified public places. The bylaw was ruled unlawful by a High Court judge in 2011.

Using this item

NZPA Images

Reference: 69941

by Ross Setford

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Greg Newbold and Rāwiri Taonui, Gangs – Māori gangs and Pacific youth gangs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28250/black-power (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Greg Newbold and Rāwiri Taonui, published 30 March 2011, reviewed and revised 2 October 2018 with assistance from Jarrod Gilbert, updated 1 April 2020.

Comments

scott
25 June 2012
who are the police to say club members cant where there clothes..vest t shirts..new zealand police have far to much power..so many nz people dislike them..they are get n away with so much including muder..and so much coruction is in nz now wth goverment agencies..Im ashamed to be a kiwi..after seen how well the austrailia people are treated by there country..and looked after by the goverment..not like in nz..thats for sure..john keys doesnt care at all abt the nz people..Illed like to see him get up at 5 in the morn n and go work all week for $18 dollars a hour..