Queen Street, 20/07/05

**Toast** · 20th July 2005, 13:42

Anyone know what's up down there? I was walking back from Uni just now, and the intersection where Whitcoulls is was all blocked off with cop cars, and there were a few tv cameras there waiting for something to happen.

The people I asked didn't know what was going on, but I overheard a cop talking to this lady and mentioning the word 'suspicious.' So, I'm guessing a bomb threat or something?

**placidfemme** · 20th July 2005, 13:55

Yeah someone left a rubbisg bag or summat outside the bank on the cnr of Queen & Victoria... looks suspicious... last I heard the bomb squad was on it's way...

Bet ya it's nothing just a bunch of drama queens thinking NZ is under attack... blah

**Toast** · 20th July 2005, 14:11

Originally Posted by placidfemme

Yeah someone left a rubbisg bag or summat outside the bank on the cnr of Queen & Victoria... looks suspicious... last I heard the bomb squad was on it's way...

Bet ya it's nothing just a bunch of drama queens thinking NZ is under attack... blah

Yeah, I think the number of bomb threats I've been around (I can count about 4, K'Mart, at a school, etc.) far outweighs the actual bombings I can remember in my short life time (0).

**justsomeguy** · 20th July 2005, 14:20

Apart from Queen St the Auck uni staff are out with plackards asking for a pay rise......

**Toast** · 20th July 2005, 14:29

Haha, yeah, and handing out those little orange stickers which look almost exactly like the City Mission appeal stickers being handed out today...I bet the Mission people are stoked about that. Way to make their job harder lecturers.

**_Gina_** · 20th July 2005, 14:33

20.07.05 UPDATED AT 1.50pm

Police lifted cordons in central Auckland at around 1.30pm after a suspicious package was declared safe.

An area approximately 50m in each direction had been closed off at the intersection of Queen Street and Victoria Street for around two and a half hours.

After a bomb disposal expert, dressed in heavily padded gear, had worked on the package, police took down barriers and declared the scene safe.

Motorists and pedestrians had earlier been advised to stay away from central Auckland.

Police cordoned off the intersection at 11am after being notified at about 10.30am of a suspicious parcel being on the footpath.

A police spokeswoman said: "The bomb disposal unit has determined the suspicious package on Victoria St is not dangerous and the pedestrian cordon around the Queen Street/Victoria Street corner has been lifted.

"Police have retrieved the materials used in the packages and will be examining them in an effort to discover who was responsible for leaving them in such a way as to raise concern."