Protests Anticipated Over New Zealand Indigenous Policies on National Day Holiday, According to Reuters

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON – This weekend’s commemoration of New Zealand’s founding document signing in Waitangi is anticipated to attract the largest crowds in 30 years, as indigenous Maori gather to discuss and protest proposed policies they believe may harm their interests.

The principal celebrations will take place on February 6, marking the anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs.

Politicians, Maori leaders, and community members are expected to begin arriving in the small coastal town in the North Island on Saturday.

Pita Tipene, chairman of the Waitangi National Trust board that organizes the event, forecasts attendance to exceed 60,000 people for the Waitangi Day festivities. If accurate, this would represent the largest gathering of its kind since at least 1990, featuring concerts, stalls, and political discussions.

“It is a place of discourse. There will be increased numbers because people want to come and listen. People also want to come and express their frustration and anger at what they see coming out of government policies,” he stated.

The new centre-right coalition government, which took office late last year, has pledged to roll back policies of previous administrations that supported the official use of the Maori language and aimed at improving the living standards and rights of indigenous peoples.

Additionally, the government has announced plans to introduce a bill that would reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, though they have not committed to its passage.

Critics argue that these initiatives represent the most significant regression in Maori rights in decades. Some have even resorted to legal action against the government to block these proposed changes.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has sought to address concerns, assuring that there are no impending changes to the treaty.

“We are incredibly proud of it (the treaty) and there is no change to the treaty coming,” he informed the media on Friday.

Protests have historically been a part of the Waitangi celebrations; in 1995, official events were canceled due to widespread anger over government policies. In a notable incident in 2016, a minister was struck in the face with a object thrown by a protester opposing a trade agreement.