New Zealand Faces Nationwide Protests Over Government's Indigenous Policies

Maori Party leads demonstrations against policies they claim will unravel decades of Indigenous progress.

Thousands of protesters, led by the minor Maori Party, took to the streets across New Zealand to rally against the new government's policies that they believe are detrimental to Indigenous rights.
The new right-leaning coalition government, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, has pledged to review the Treaty of Waitangi, reduce the use of the Maori language in government organisations, and reassess affirmative action policies.
Protests coincided with the opening of New Zealand's 54th parliament, during which Maori Party members broke with protocol by pledging allegiance first to their descendants and the Treaty of Waitangi before swearing an oath to Britain’s King Charles III.
The government's proposed changes have been met with criticism, with Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi stating that the new policies would take New Zealand 'back to the 1800s.'
The government has also announced plans to close the Maori Health Authority and scrap the nation's world-leading smoking ban, moves that have been criticized as detrimental to the Maori community, which has higher smoking rates and faces health disparities compared to the general population.