A march through Dunedin, calling for an end to the "dream" of a new $188 million stadium, will probably be ignored, Stop the Stadium president Bev Butler believes.
Ms Butler was at the head of Saturday's procession, where upwards of 1000 people walked and chanted their way from the Dental School, on Great King St, down George St to the Octagon from noon.
Speaking after the rally, Ms Butler doubted her message or Saturday's "good turnout" would stop the stadium from proceeding past the Dunedin City Council's crucial February 9 vote.
The only way of stopping it was if Dunedin's councillors "listen to the voice of the people", she believed.
Asked how confident she was of that happening, Ms Butler replied: "I'm not. I hate to say that, but I'm not. But you must never give up trying."
The procession was met with applause and occasional heckling on George St, while Ms Butler received sustained cheers and some heckling as she addressed the Octagon crowd.
Striking a defiant note, she told the overwhelmingly supportive crowd: "Your presence here today is a clear signal to our councillors to end this stadium now. The debate has ended. It's now decision time and the decision is clear to the people - No, no, no to the stadium," she said, drawing a large cheer.
She criticised the project as a "monument for public posterity" for those promoting it, who she called "lemmings heading towards the cliff face".
"They will be condemned as being the decision-makers that brought Dunedin to its knees financially," she said.
Earlier, the procession down George St, lead by a pipe band and protest leaders marching behind a giant "Stop the Stadium" banner, stretched for up to four city blocks.
Police estimated the crowd at 850 to 1000.
The ODT counted about 900 at the start, rising to about 1300 as marchers entered the Octagon.
Ms Butler estimated the crowd to be "at least 1500", based on her organ-isation's official counters, which was "a tremendous effort for Dunedin".
Marchers were a diverse mixture of ages, including children, but featured a strong turnout of older residents.
Among the banners and signs was a large white elephant mounted on a van, and several smaller versions on poles, and a banner that read: "Dunedin Stadium - We don't want a Forsyth Barr of it."
Most shoppers seemed content to stand and watch, while others applauded or heckled.
One heckler, David Vanderveen (45), of Dunedin, yelled out: "Go back to the rest-home. I support the stadium."
There were addresses in the Octagon by Ms Butler, Dunedin Ratepayers and Householders Association chairman Syd Adie, former Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis, Emeritus Prof Jocelyn Harris, and protester Dave Witherow.
The rally ended with Mr Witherow nailing a written declaration to the front door of the city's Municipal Chambers, threatening Stop the Stadium's planned rates revolt - beginning on February 10 - unless the DCC pulled its support for the "scandalous" stadium project.
Those attending the rally voiced a range of complaints to the ODT..
Donald Wyatt (46), of Dunedin, said the stadium would be "an incredible waste of money" that could be put to better use, such as by investing in improving the city's public transport.
Mike Smaill (20), a University of Otago politics and management student who heckled Ms Butler during her speech, said he was "anti the way these people go about things".
"They are against everything in the city. I don't remember anything they are actually for," he said.
Police made two arrests during the rally, but said they were generally happy with the crowd's behaviour.
A 25-year-old, charged with offensive behaviour, and a 27-year-old, charged with using offensive language, were arrested after unfurling a large banner featuring foul language directed at Carisbrook Stadium Trust chairman Malcolm Farry.
