New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, turned into a sea of voices yesterday as more than 35,000 people gathered to protest a controversial bill. The proposed law seeks to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi.
This massive demonstration marked the finale of a nine-day hīkoi, a peaceful march that grew steadily as it traveled across the country. By the time it reached the steps of Parliament—known as the Beehive—thousands of people, many wrapped in the black, red, and white colors of the Māori flag, stood united.
Why All the Fuss?
At the heart of the protest is the Treaty of Waitangi, a cornerstone of New Zealand’s history and race relations. The treaty promised a partnership between the Crown and the Māori people, but its interpretation has been debated ever since it was signed.
The bill, introduced by the Act Party, calls for a legal definition of the treaty’s principles, which Act leader David Seymour says have created division, not unity.
But critics believe this bill could strip Māori people of the rights and recognition they’ve fought for over decades.
What’s Next?
Inside Parliament, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declared the bill dead on arrival. “We won’t be supporting it past the second reading,” Luxon said, adding that rewriting history in one swoop isn’t the answer.
But the sheer size of the protest—the largest of its kind in New Zealand’s recent history—shows how deeply the issue resonates. Some see the march as a powerful call for protecting Māori rights, while others view it as a step toward unifying a diverse nation.
What’s clear is this: the Treaty of Waitangi remains a topic of fierce debate.
For now, the protesters’ chants echo through Wellington, a reminder that history is alive and still shaping New Zealand’s future.
