A disastrous promotional event which ended in uproar has been labelled "awful" by an Auckland poverty advocate as police investigate whether any laws were broken.
On Saturday work gear company The Safety Warehouse promised it would fire $100,000 into a waiting crowd - some of whom had travelled from Palmerston North to Auckland in the hopes of grabbing some cash. However what the waiting crowd received was mostly vouchers made to look like $5 notes - attendees say there was very little money.
Police are investigating the incident and following up with The Safety Warehouse.
"At this early stage we're not in a position to comment further," Commander Inspector Scott Gemmell told Newshub.
Darryl Evans, the chief executive of Mangere Budgeting Services Trust, told Newshub The Safety Warehouse may have had "the best intentions" but the idea was "awful".
Furious at the drop, the crowd turned violent and attacked a vehicle belonging to the company, smashing its rear window. Three employees were injured in the commotion - one requiring hospitalisation.
Evans says he's unsurprised the event turned nasty as he knows the desperation some people face.
"When you hear $100,000 dropped from the sky, you expect $100,000."
"When you have basically nothing you will believe whatever you read and they did believe they were going to walk away with some money," he said on Monday,
"When you're desperate you'll almost go to any length."
He says one of the main issues with the event is poverty-stricken Kiwis would have scrimped to afford to travel to the event, believing they would leave it better off.
"People did spend money to spend petrol to drive into Auckland or catch public transport - They really did think they were going to get some money and it was going to get them through Christmas."
The Safety Warehouse says it's "disappointed" the event turned to chaos, but maintains it did throw $100,000 in cash into the crowd and the vouchers were just supplementary.
"The vouchers that were also presented at the event were in addition to the cash that was given away. We never could have expected the inclusion of the vouchers would have created such hostility and a misunderstood narrative," the company said in a statement.
