Tens of thousands of people marched in Wellington for the final day of the nationwide hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill.
Police initially estimated the crowd at over 30,000, then revised this upwards to 42,000.
The crowd was so large it took over 90 minutes from when the front of the hīkoi arrived at Parliament for the end to get there.
The hīkoi began eight days ago at dawn on November 11 at Te Rerenga Wairua in the Far North, and travelled the length of the North Island.
In Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, the hīkoi moved from Waitangi Park through the CBD and on to Parliament.
The hīkoi at Waitangi Park at 10am. Image: Re: News.
The hīkoi in front of Parliament at 12:30pm. Image: Re: News.
Public submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill opened today.
ACT leader David Seymour told 1News "we're democratising the Treaty, and that makes me feel great”.
“The public submissions are open for the first time in our history, the entire public had a say about what our founding document really means," he said.
"A lot of people did not want that to happen, but it has.
"I think that this will be looked back on as a turning point from the Treaty being this thing that has been put in a box, only accessed by lawyers and experts and academics who say they know what's best for everybody, to everyone having a say [on] what's best for them."
Last week the bill, introduced by ACT, passed its first reading in Parliament.
As part of the coalition agreement National and NZ First agreed to support the bill at its first reading, but have said they will not support it further.
Re: News spoke to people at the hīkoi as it made its way through Wellington.
Alyzae Ropiha and her friends in front of Wellington Station around 9:30am, where people were streaming in to attend the hīkoi. Image: Re: News.
Alyzae Ropiha (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa)
This is the biggest hīkoi I have attended.
I'm definitely feeling empowered today, all the rangatahi and whānau are standing around us.
I just want them to know they can't keep doing this to us tangata whenua.
We own this land and they can't live off stolen land.
Four men on horses near the Wellington waterfront. Image: Re: News.
Grace McPartland at Waitangi Park. Image: Re: News.
Grace McPartland (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu)
What brings me here today… honestly, just fighting for my people.
A man playing a taonga puoro on Courtenay Place. Image: Re: News.
Lavi (left) and Julian (right) at Waitangi Park. Image: Re: News.
Lavi and Julian from Porirua
We came along because we have Māori cousins, nieces and nephews. And as Pasifika people it’s important we come and stand and support indigenous sovereignty with our Māori brothers and sisters today.
My sister just had a baby and he’s half Māori so I'm just here for him and all the babies that are to come.
A manaaki station at Midland Park on Lambton Quay, offering water and snacks to people in the hīkoi. Image: Re: News.
Siblings Aria, Erina and Apirana Ngarimu marching along Lambton Quay to Parliament. Image: Re: News.
Aria, Erina and Apirana Ngarimu (Ngāti Porou)
Being here today is really about the attacks on te Tiriti. But it's also about the ongoing attacks on Māori that have been happening since this Government have come in, and just generally not upholding te Tiriti since it’s been signed since 1840.
We’re just here to tautoko the work of our ancestors who signed te Tiriti so we could have a better future.
We see the support that’s come from up north and made their way down through the country.
Not just from Māori but from other members of the public as well, tangata Tiriti showing up strong for us which is cool.
A woman wearing a hand-embroidered shirt at Waitangi Park. Image: Re: News.
La’ala’ai, Celeste and Pele at Te Aro Park, which used to be a pā site. Image: Re: News.
La’ala’ai, Celeste and Pele from Taihape
We don't want our culture to be lost somewhere in the ground because, to me, our culture means everything to me.
We don't want them to take our treaty away from us when it was signed on our behalf to them.
Te Hira Nopera and the kōhatu [stone] he brought from Waitangi to Pōneke. Images: Re: News.
Te Hira Nopera from Te Tai Tokerau
The stone over here, that's the mauri stone for the whakaminenga [gathering].
That’s why I've come along. To imbue the essence, the mauri of what's moving down here into the kōhatu [stone] to return back to Waitangi, back up into the Tai Tokerau.
Janet holding a sign at Waitangi Park. Image: Re: News.
Janet
Support of Māori, it's so important.
If we lift Māori up, we lift everyone up.
Obviously, you don't sign a treaty to then renege on it.
Cheyenne Wilson wearing her son’s korowai. Image: Re: News.
Cheyenne Wilson (Ngāti Pukenga, Tainui)
We came from Kirikiriroa Hamilton, got here at about 3am this morning.
I'm pretty much here for my son.
My nanny, she marched in 1975 [in the land march led by Whina Cooper], she couldn’t be here today. This is my son’s korowai that my nanny made for him, so I bought a piece of my family here with me today.
The hīkoi heading to Parliament. Image: Re: News.
A sign held outside Parliament. Image: Re: News.
Correction: We have updated a photo caption after wrongly saying a sign depicted Tāme Iti.
Photos by Baz Macdonald.
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