Rings of guards required for Wellington premiere showing

By JAMES GARDINER

Wellington police are warning of potential danger to the public during Monday's Return of the King premiere.

With up to 100,000 expected to pack the streets for the parade before the first official screening of Peter Jackson's final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, police are concerned at the potential for crowd crushings and have urged motorists and pedestrians not to lose their cool.

Three rings of police and security guards will form around the parade route and the venues for the premiere, which will bring the capital to a virtual standstill for much of the afternoon and evening.

Private security consultants from the United States have flown in to organise protection for the international film stars and Hollywood celebrities attending.

Streets along the 2.5km parade route, from Parliament to the Embassy Theatre in Courtenay Place, will be blocked off, along with many side streets.

Police from throughout greater Wellington and the Wairarapa have been called in to help deal with the crowds, most of whom will watch the premiere on giant outdoor screens.

While director Peter Jackson and stars are in the parade, an Air New Zealand jumbo jet will fly over the city at just 300m.

The special flight by the 747-400 is to show off one of four specially painted Lord of the Rings-themed aircraft in the Air NZ fleet. The so-called Frodo plane is the flagship and bears faces of hobbits Frodo and Samwise - actors Elijah Wood and Sean Astin.

Both actors are expected to be among 15 cast members taking part in the parade, which ends on 470m of red carpet outside the Embassy.

Police Inspector Ron Grub, who is heading Operation LOTR, said there was no perceived terrorist threat facing the event but he expected road police to have "something of a nightmare" dealing with traffic congestion.

The operation would begin at 9am on Monday and continue until the crowds went home in the early hours of Tuesday. Large numbers of police would be on foot in the central city on the parade route and around the Embassy, the Reading Cinema and the Events Centre on the waterfront, where the post-premiere party would be held, he said.

"It is going to be very, very difficult for motorists but also for pedestrians because of the crowds on the footpaths," Inspector Grubb said yesterday.

Council events manager John Dawson said he expected up to 100,000 people, based on Christmas parades attracting around 80,000 to the city. "I think this will be bigger," he said.