New Zealanders across the country protest against government’s new policies
Thousands of protesters gathered in New Zealand’s city squares, motorway over-bridges and in front of the country’s parliament on Tuesday to protest the new government’s policies that they believe are racist, Reuters reports
The protest was organised by the political party Te Pati Maori and is timed to coincide with the opening of New Zealand’s 54th Parliament.
“The three parties' new coalition agreement outlines policies to wind back the use of Maori language, review affirmative action policies and assess how the country’s founding treaty document is interpreted in legislation,” the publication reads.
New Zealand police said that during the protests in a number of cities there were traffic disruptions, and several people participating in the protest were arrested.
David Seymour, leader of the libertarian party ACT New Zealand, said in a statement that it was all just theatrics because New Zealanders want their government to address the many problems faced by the country.
It is also reported that the New Zealand Parliament opened with parliamentarians swearing an oath to Britain's King Charles III. Te Pati Maori's six parliamentarians broke with protocol, opting to stay in their seats and swear allegiance first to their grandchildren and young people and to the country’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, before moving to the front to swear the oath to King Charles. Parliamentarians are required to do this in order to be eligible to be members of Parliament.
