Carmen Norgate brandishes the offending publication outside
the Golden Centre.
Security guards were waiting when supporters of a free
weekly gig guide banned from Dunedin's Golden Centre Mall
targeted the shopping centre for a "performance art" event
yesterday.
About 10 people walked into the Dunedin mall at 2.30pm
yesterday and began spreading dozens of copies of the *INK
entertainment guide around the mall, placing them in plants
and on tables.
Their brief stunt - watched by a few bemused shop owners and
customers - came after *INK publisher Carmen Norgate was last
week threatened with a five-year trespass order unless she
stopped distributing her guide in the mall.
Ms Norgate responded by placing the email from mall general
manager Simon Eddy on Facebook and organising yesterday's
performance, but word also spread to Mr Eddy, and four
security guards, one more than usual, were waiting when the
group arrived.
Two uniformed police officers were also patrolling.
The group's performance passed peacefully, with one member
escorted out by a guard after trying to film the event, while
other guards quickly collected the guides.
Ms Norgate, a freelance graphic designer, said she had been
surprised by the "harsh" tone of Mr Eddy's email, and wanted
to make a point.
She distributed 1000 guides each week around 120 premises in
Dunedin, and said it did not generate a profit or complaints.
"I don't want to deliver in the Golden Centre from now on,
but I just wanted to tell them, `Hey, we don't actually
care'."
Mr Eddy was unrepentant, saying the distributors were
"essentially littering" and "frankly childish".
"We don't allow, as no shopping centre in New Zealand does,
distribution of unsolicited publications throughout our
premises."
He rejected any suggestion the mall was not community-minded,
pointing to this month's concert to raise money for
Canterbury earthquake relief.
There were no plans to issue trespass notices against those
involved yesterday, and a distribution point for the guide
could be discussed if an approach was made in future, he
said.
chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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