Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, December 5, 2023
Te Pāti Māori is calling on the community to join in taking a stand against what they say is an “assault on tangata whenua” by the newly formed government.
In a social media post today, December 4, 2023, Te Pāti Māori issued a nationwide call to action, scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
The Nationwide Action Day aligns with the opening of the 54th term of Parliament, where all MPs are required to swear an oath of allegiance to the King of England.
Protest against government ‘assault’
The protests are in response to the National, Act and NZ First coalition’s policies around Te Tiriti o Waitangi, such as the bid to redefine the principles, scrapping of the Māori Health Authority and Oranga Tamariki policies along with repealing the smoke-free generation law.
According to Te Pāti Māori social media posts, the Kaupapa of the action day is to demonstrate the “beginning of a unified Aotearoa approach to the government’s assault on Tangata Whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.
“Demonstrating the might of Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti working together. The revolution of Gen-T (Generation Tiriti) standing up for and protecting the rights of all our mokopuna”, and “asserting the mana of Te Tiriti O Waitangi as enduring and everlasting”.
The Tikanga of the Action Day is peaceful, respectful, mokopuna-focused, mokopuna friendly, and wairua pai, according to the Te Pāti Māori social media post.
Plan of Action
The protests will be taking place across the country with more than 16 planned locations, as posted on Te Pāti Māori social media.
The protest action is scheduled to take place between 7.30 am and 9 am and is likely to disrupt traffic in several areas, including Motorways across Auckland, Waikato, Palmerston North, Hawera, New Plymouth, Tokoroa, Whanganui, Porirua, Whangārei, Tauranga, Rotorua and Wellington.
Police are aware of the potential for gatherings and were making enquiries to understand the full plans of those involved.
Assistant Commissioner Sandra Venables assured that “Police are preparing for planned protests in various locations around New Zealand on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. We are working with organisers to provide advice on lawful protest, as well as any health and safety implications.”
She said, “Officers will be highly visible across the roading network throughout the morning and, in some locations, will put measures in place to prevent protestors from putting themselves and motorists in harm’s way.”
“Police recognise the right to peaceful protest and will be reminding protestors about lawful behaviour on our roads. Unlawful behaviour will result in enforcement action, either at the time or following the event if safety issues prevent immediate action.”
Motorists in these areas are advised to plan to mitigate any disruption to their travel. Anyone travelling to the airport or to any other time-sensitive commitment is advised to allow more time for their journey.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
