"When New Zealand's political leaders gathered to speak at the Waitangi treaty grounds where Maori chiefs and the British Crown forged a nation 186 years ago there was a striking absence: the public. As a light rain fell on the green peninsula in the far north of New Zealand on Thursday, fewer than 100 people gathered to watch the leaders welcomed onto the grounds, and only a handful of people heckled ministers as they spoke."
"The absence of protest does not necessarily mark a shift of sentiment in favour of the coalition government, which faces an election in November. Rather, it signals fatigue within the Indigenous population, a breakdown in trust in the government, and a desire to refocus attention towards Maori communities, visitors to the grounds tell the Guardian. People are tired, says Edward Ellison, an esteemed leader from the southern tribe Ngai Tahu."
Fewer than 100 people attended the ceremony at the Waitangi treaty grounds, with only a handful heckling ministers despite political leaders' presence. The muted atmosphere contrasted with 2025 when protesters actively confronted ministers and removed a microphone over a divisive treaty principles bill. Earlier large protests reflected opposition to rightwing coalition policies seen as undermining the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori rights. The current lull reflects exhaustion among Indigenous communities, diminished trust in the government, and a preference by many to redirect attention and energy toward supporting Maori communities instead of sustained public demonstrations.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]