Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters are marching up Rotorua’s Fenton St this morning

The protest moves to Hawke’s Bay next before making its way to Parliament on Tuesday

Act’s Treaty Principles Bill passed its first reading in Parliament on Thursday with support from National, Act and NZ First.

10.36am: Joel Masters from pounamu (greenstone) store on Fenton St Rākei ran up to Rawiri Waititi as the hīkoi passed to present him with a mere pounamu.

He said he told Waititi he would like him to take it with him to Parliament on Tuesday when the hīkoi arrives.

He said the mere was to enrich the kaupapa to signify their stance.

Joel Masters hugs Rawiri Waititi as he presents him with a mere. Photo / Kelly Makiha

10.27am: Rotorua man Julian Ngatai brought 10 children from the Ngatai-Holmes whānau ranging in ages from 5 to 13.

”It’s important because it’s is the future of our kids. Taking that away from us is jeopardising us as Māori.”

While he said it was a great turnout despite the rain, he said there were “plenty more” who could have come.

Julian Ngatai (orange jacket) with his whānau at the hīkoi. Photo / Kelly Makiha

10.12am: Veteran Māori activist Tame Iti is part of the hīkoi and is carrying a Tūhoe flag.

Veteran Māori activist Tame Iti is part of the hīkoi. Photo / Kelly Makiha

10.03am: The crowd is slowly moving up Fenton St to the sound of haka and chanting.

9.59am: Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said this was the biggest protest in living memory.

”We are joined by so many locals. It is great to be here with my family to support the values of partnerships and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the significant contribution of Māori past and present.”

9.47am: The hīkoi has got under way led by Māori warriors, with kapa haka exponent Tukiterangi Curtis leading the group.

Te Pāti Māori leader Rawiri Waititi reminded the crowd before they left, the hīkoi is “Tiriti-led” and “Māori focused”.

”Look after each other.”

The hīkoi preparing to leave the Village Green. Photo / Kelly Makiha

9.45am: The hīkoi is preparing to leave.

9.36am: Former Waiariki MP Tāmati Coffey is part of the hīkoi carrying a flag that says: “Don’t blame me, I voted Labour”.

He said it was hard to watch all of their hard work dismantle under the current Government.

”The things we worked so hard on, Māori wards, changes to Māori health authority, one by one it is being dismantled. It is about the dismantling of the mana that has gone with that.”

Former Waiariki MP Tāmati Coffey pictured with his daughter Taitimu. Photo / Kelly Makiha

9.32am: The hīkoi will be led down Fenton St by Māori warriors.

The hīkoi will be lead by Māori warriors. Photo / Kelly Makiha

9.28am: Traffic is heavy coming into Rotorua on State Highway 36.

9.22am: The last living designer of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag, Linda Munn from Pāpāmoa, said it was a proud day to see the flag flying.

“It makes me feel like our people are feeling empowered and have a voice.”

She said Māori were feeling concerned.

”We aren’t here for a picnic. We are trying to keep our culture and our language. Who are those people down there (in Wellington) to say we can’t live the way we truly are?”

The last living designer of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag, Linda Munn from Pāpāmoa. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Protesters on horseback gather at Rotorua's Village Green. Photo / Kelly Makiha

8.56am: Hundreds of protesters are starting to gather at the Village Green waving flags and banners. Those taking part include about 10 protesters on horseback.

Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters have started gathering at Rotorua's Village Green ahead of this morning’s march. Photo / Ben Fraser

8.53am: The GHA building on Fenton St, diagonally opposite the Village Green, showed its support for the hīkoi with Māori flags flying. The building houses Glenn Hawkins and Associates – a Māori accounting and consulting firm.

The GHA building on Fenton St showing their support with flags in their windows. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Earlier:

Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters have started gathering in central Rotorua ahead of this morning’s march.

The protest is expected to start at the Rotorua Village Green at 10am and head along Fenton St to the Te Puia overflow carpark by about noon, where a car convoy would set off towards Heretaunga.

A Rotorua Lakes Council spokesman said the council was co-ordinating with police and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency on traffic management related to the hīkoi.

It was also delivering flyers to businesses along the hīkoi notifying them of the anticipated disruptions as it travels up Fenton St.

Thousands of marchers were in Auckland on Wednesday and Hamilton yesterday before the convoy descended on Rotorua on Thursday afternoon for a pohiri at Apumoana Marae.

It comes as Parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after a haka by Te Pāti Māori MPs interrupted the first reading of the contentious Treaty Principles Bill.

It also resulted in Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee naming Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke as the instigator as the House voted to suspend her.

The official vote for the Treaty Principles Bill took place and has passed its first reading as expected with support from National, NZ First and Act.

Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori did not support it.

National had already committed to not support the Bill at the second reading.

Purpose of hīkoi to ‘activate the nation’

Te Pāti Māori vice-president Fallyn Flavell, a hīkoi organiser, told the Rotorua Daily Post that it was hard to say exactly how many people would arrive in Rotorua on Thursday as “numbers had fluctuated from place to place”.

The number expected to join the hīkoi march through Rotorua would depend on personal circumstances, weather and other factors.

Flavell said the purpose of the 2024 hīkoi was to “activate the nation” against the bill and show the kotahitanga (unity) of, firstly, Māori and, secondly, of the country as people stood together against the proposed changes.

“The Treaty Principles Bill serves no purpose in a country that’s leading the way for indigenous rights across the world.”

Visiting hīkoi participants would stay at marae across Rotorua.

Te Pāti Māori member Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said she was sure Rotorua would give the hīkoi a “warm and supportive” welcome to the city.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said she had not yet been contacted by the hīkoi organisers as they focused on the proposed policy change, which she viewed as “disappointing and unnecessarily divisive”.

She expected many Rotorua locals would join the movement to show their support for “the founding document of our country, as well as the principles of partnership within it”.

“In Rotorua, we will be continuing our strong and beneficial relationship with our local iwi and hapū as we respect our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the valuable contribution of Māori to our past, present, and future.”

Seymour previously said in a press release the bill would not change the Treaty itself, only how it was interpreted in law.

“The purpose of the Treaty Principles Bill is for Parliament to define the principles of the Treaty, provide certainty and clarity, and promote a national conversation about their place in our constitutional arrangements.”