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The Dalai Lama's message was peace, love and tolerance - but even children waiting to hear the Buddhist leader speak had bags searched and snacks confiscated.
The bizarre security checks at Auckland's new Vector Arena last week prompted upset mums to call radio stations with stories of security guards stripping family groups of snacks and drinks, leaving them to buy food and drink at the venue.
"We have rules because of the types of containers people might bring in," arena spokesman Shane Kelly said. "If someone throws a can it could cause a problem. Everything has to be plastic and of a certain size with no real weight to them.
"I'm not saying things are likely to get out of hand at something like the Dalai Lama event. But when there's 3000 people at a concert we have to take security measures and we've got to stick to them."
The arena had seven different cafes and bars, serving everything from hot chips to dinner meals.
