KEY POINTS:
Groups of students from two schools planning a large-scale brawl were stopped by police before fighting was due to break out.
Police had been tipped off that the students were set to clash in Olympic Park, west Auckland.
When they arrived at the scene at 2.30pm yesterday, they found 20 students from a nearby secondary school.
However, no one was present from the other school.
Sergeant Grant Watson of New Lynn police said: "The 20 students immediately ran in all directions but were soon caught by the large team of police and taken into custody. One student was found with a rock in his possession."
Nineteen boys and young men were arrested.
Five of them aged 17 years were charged with unlawful assembly and will appear in the Waitakere District Court on Monday.
Fourteen others aged 15-16 years face the same charges and will appear in the Waitakere Youth Court on Tuesday. All are presently on bail.
Police went to one of the schools yesterday to speak to the students and gave them a warning about the consequences of group confrontations.
Mr Watson said there appeared to be "no valid reason" for rivalry between the two schools escalating in recent times.
"It is certainly not gang related," he said. "Most of the students have not been in trouble with police before.
"One possible reason is that the fighting is personality driven. The individuals have encouraged their mates to support them and so two opposing groups may have been formed with a view to finding a solution through fighting."
- NZ HERALD STAFF
