Protest rallies are happening across New Zealand as workers go on strike to protest the “anti-Māori policies” of the Coalition government ahead of Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ first Budget today.
Organised by Te Pāti Māori (the Māori Party), alongside an activist group calling itself Toitū Te Tiriti (Honour the Treaty), said in an online statement that the action was intended to “prove the might of [the Māori] economy by disconnecting entirely from it.”
Party leaders continued to encourage Māori people to strike despite the prime minister’s warning that it would be illegal to skip work to do so.
Streets in most major cities are full of protesters, many waving Rangitiratanga (sovereignty, self-determination) flags.
Traffic on the Auckland urban motorway was delayed this morning by a protest march, which organisers said was designed to “accomplish maximum disruption.” Similar delays were reported in other cities.
Amongst the grievances of the protesters are plans to remove mention of the Treaty of Waitangi from legislation, the recent disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, the repeal of smoke-free laws introduced by Labour, and the Act Party’s bid to redefine the Treaty principles.
In Wellington, both leaders of the Māori Party addressed the crowd. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said they needed a clear signal of assent to the party’s proposals, while Rawiri Waititi claimed the Crown had “set out to exterminate” Māori 100 years ago.
“They failed. We are 20 percent of the population. We are one million strong. When will we start to speak for ourselves? When will we start to lead ourselves to our own liberation? ... The time is now,” he said.
Onlookers cheered as he announced: “Today, the revolution starts. How dare they assume that they have sovereignty over a people who never ceded sovereignty to anyone?”
He claimed there was “an uprising of Indigenous truth and colour all over the world,” citing the unrest in New Caledonia and the war in Palestine.
He continued, saying there were “examples out there of how we can pull ourselves together” but that Maori people “must unite.”
The “Nationwide Activation Day” follows a meeting held earlier this year which criticised the government’s policies relating to Māori.
Commenting on today’s planned protests on May 28, Prime Minister Chris Luxon said he thought it was wrong for the Maori Party to encourage people to take the day off work to protest, given that it would breach employment laws.
“I think that’s entirely wrong. I think, feel free to protest, that’s what we have weekends for, but I just say to you: Te Pāti Māori, they’re completely free to protest as they want—as long as it’s legal and peaceable and lawful,” he said.
“But I’m not focused on that, I’m focused on making sure I deliver a budget for New Zealanders, whether they’re Māori or non-Māori, where they can see they can get ahead.”
