Five days later, there was starting to be pushback in the public media. The Auckland Star, on 18 March—five days later—said, "The Government has been asked to declare a general amnesty for Pacific Islanders who overstay their visitors' permits following the arrest of 21 Islanders in a dawn raid in Auckland. In telegrams to the Prime Minister, Mr Kirk, and the Minister of Immigration, Mr Coleman, the Citizens' Association for Racial Equality has asked for proceedings against those arrested to be stayed and a general amnesty to be granted." Surely, the red flags were already starting to be seen of those arrested. A good number of them were actually on legitimate visas, they were pulled from their beds, and this was clearly wrong.