posted December 17, 2005 11:29 PM            

Saturday, December 17, 2005
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A group of 40 people dressed in Santa Claus costumes, many of them drunk, rampaged through New Zealand's largest city, robbing stores and assaulting security guards, police said Sunday.

The rampage, dubbed "Santarchy" by local newspapers, began early Saturday afternoon when the men, wearing ill-fitting Santa costumes, threw beer bottles and urinated on cars from an Auckland overpass, said Auckland Central Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty.

She said the men then rushed through a central city park, overturning garbage containers, throwing bottles at passing cars and spraying graffiti on buildings.

One man climbed the mooring line of a cruise ship before being ordered down by the captain. Other Santas, objecting when the man was arrested, attacked security staff, Hegarty said.

The remaining Santas entered a downtown convenience store and carried off beer and soft drinks.

"They came in, said 'Merry Christmas' and then helped themselves," store owner Changa Manakynda said.

Alex Dyer, a spokesman for the group, said Santarchy was a worldwide movement designed to protest the commercialization of Christmas.

Three people were arrested and charged with drunkenness and disorderly behavior.

posted December 18, 2005 12:22 AM              

it's 6 more days til
"The Holiday"

posted December 22, 2005 09:33 AM            

Thursday, December 22, 2005
RAYMOND, N.H. - A Massachusetts man arrested for allegedly dropping his pants while dressed as Santa Claus has been arrested again.

Raymond High School Principal Michael Shore says people initially thought 52-year-old Richard Mullen was looking for his child when they saw him walking around the school on Tuesday morning. Shore said police were called to the school after Mullen couldn't come up with a name.

Mullen, of Malden, Mass., pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to one charge of criminal trespassing. Bail was set at $1,000. As a condition of bail, Mullen was ordered to stay 100 yards away from any Raymond school.

His trial was scheduled for Jan. 6.

In the earlier incident, Mullen was arrested Dec. 4 at the Mall at Rockingham Park after shoppers said they saw a man, dressed as Santa Claus, drop his pants. Police say Mullen was wearing sweat pants under his costume. They charged him with disorderly conduct. Mullen was not working at the mall at the time.

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Man, that fat guy in the red suit is sure out of control now-a-days! It must be a government conspiracy or something!