Following Tonga’s huge League World Cup run, Auckland has been a sea of red. From Ōtāhuhu to downtown Queen St, our photographer Todd Henry was there to witness the revelry.Last night marked the last major celebration following a week's worth of street parties and marches. But for many in the community, Tonga’s astonishing successes on the field have been tainted by what locals described as heavy-handed, racially-motivated policing at the after-match celebrations. There was a significant police presence on the streets post-game. Police were filmed confiscating flag poles from children on the streets, claiming that they could be used as weapons.
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But in the scarlet takeover of Queen Street last night, despite some protests over the close call by the ref that denied Mate Ma'a a semi-final win, the mood was good and there were no hints of trouble. Here are our photos of what went down:
Mate Ma'a perform sipi tau for fans from their hotel.
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