Thousands of individuals took part in a march toward New Zealand’s capital city following the passage of a controversial bill that seeks to reinterpret the nation’s 184-year-old founding document, achieving its initial approval in parliament.
Numerous protests against the Treaty Principles Bill are being organized in various towns nationwide as a nine-day march, or hikoi, makes its way to Wellington. It is anticipated to arrive in the capital city on Tuesday.
According to a statement from New Zealand police, around 10,000 individuals participated in the march in Rotorua, located approximately 450km north of Wellington.
Demonstrators, some adorned in traditional attire, were welcomed by hundreds who waved the Maori flag and chanted in support.
Twenty-two-year-old MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke tore up a copy of the bill and led the haka in parliament, as other Maori members and some visitors in the public gallery joined her in solidarity.
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First signed in 1840 between the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs, the treaty outlines how both parties consented to govern.
The interpretation of its clauses continues to influence legislation and policy today.
The ACT New Zealand party, a junior coalition partner in the ruling centre-right government, introduced the bill last week, fulfilling a promise made during the previous year’s election.
The party has condemned the joint governance arrangements between the state and Maori, arguing that non-Indigenous citizens are at a disadvantage due to policies aimed at benefiting Maori.
However, Maori people and their advocates contend that the bill diminishes the rights of the nation’s Indigenous population, which constitutes approximately 20% of the total population of 5.3 million.
Coalition partners, the National Party and New Zealand First, are currently only backing the legislation for the initial of three readings. Both parties have indicated they will not support its advancement to become law, signaling that it will likely fail.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reiterated that his National Party would not back the bill beyond its first reading.
