Bikers to challenge gang patch law

Bikers are set to challenge Wanganui District Council's new ban on gang patches.

The motorcycle gangs feel they have been caught up in a "political crusade" against undesirable groups and want the ban against their insignia lifted.

The council's bylaw, passed on Monday, was a first for New Zealand. It bans the insignia and colours of 10 gangs from public places in the city.

A fax sent to the council from the Wanganui Hells Angels Motorcycle Club said members had been advised that "we have good prospects of successfully challenging the bylaw by way of judicial review".

"It is also obvious that the bylaw is being passed for an improper purpose and irrelevant considerations have been relied upon," the letter said.

"We are concerned that councillors are being dragged along with Mr Laws' political crusade against what he sees as undesirable groups in Wanganui and that the council is riding roughshod over civil rights."

The challenge was expected to begin in the next few days.

But Mayor Michael Laws told the Wanganui Chronicle he was confident the bylaw was "legally spot on" and robust enough to stand up to legal scrutiny.

Mr Laws said the only argument he had heard against the bylaw from motorcycle gangs was that they had been unfairly targeted by being named as gangs.

"It was Parliament that named them as gangs in the legislation, not the council."

Meanwhile, Black Power spokesman Eugene Ryder said yesterday its members would abide by the gang insignia bylaw and not challenge it in court.

It was no different to rules around the country banning patches from bars and courthouses, he said.

- NZPA