The demonstration, or hīkoi, marks the end of a nine-day march, protesting the Treaty Principles Bill that opponents say seeks to dilute the rights of the Māori.
The bill reinterprets the clauses in the 184-year-old Treaty of Waitangi. First signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Indigenous Māori chiefs, it lays down how the two parties agreed to govern. The interpretation of clauses in the document still guides legislation and policy today.
Rulings by the courts and a separate Māori tribunal have progressively expanded Māori rights and privileges over the decades. However, the ACT New Zealand party argues this has discriminated against non-Indigenous citizens.
While the bill lacks enough support to pass parliament, its introduction has sparked protests across the country and in parliament by those who see in it a desire to reverse decades of policies designed to empower Māori.
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