Parliament grounds are completely full and there are thousands of people spilling onto surrounding streets in Wellington.
A protester was condemned by members of the hīkoi for letting off a flare as the crowd of at least 15,000 people approached Parliament.
Police said 4000 people were already on Parliament grounds awaiting the arrival of the hīkoi when a flare was let off, sending orange and brown smoke into the sky.
Māori wardens and members of the hīkoi immediately responded, shouting “cut it out” and “come down and get your hiding”.
National ministers are preparing to front the crowds. Among the ministers are Health Minister Shane Reti, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka and Minister for Social Development Louise Upston.
The Māori Queen Nga wai hono i te po has reached Parliament grounds with MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke at her side.
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The number of protesters has been growing as the hīkoi has advanced down the country over the past nine days.
Last week, Auckland commuters faced widespread disruption when thousands of hīkoi protesters marched across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, while close to 10,000 people marched on central Hastings and down State Highway 2 through Hawke’s Bay on Sunday.
What to expect today?
The hīkoi left Waitangi Park for Parliament at 9am and is expected to reach Parliament grounds at 12pm.
The route from Waitangi Park to Parliament follows the Golden Mile (Courtenay Place, Manners St, Willis St and Lambton Quay) and passes sites of significance before reaching Parliament grounds.
Māori artist Stan Walker is among those scheduled to lead a waiata at 12.50pm.
Also in attendance will be Māori Queen Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō. Kiingitanga spokesman Ngira Simmonds said she had a “message of hope for the nation and for us to come together to work through our current divisions”.
Protesters will leave Parliament grounds at 2.30pm and return to Waitangi Park by 4pm for a concert, karakia, and farewell.
Police prepared
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the Government was “extremely sensitive” to the fact that such events could affect residents and businesses.
He said the organisers were aware of this and police had good planning in place to deal with any eventuality. He was confident it would be a peaceful hīkoi bringing a message to Parliament.
Mitchell said he had not seen any intelligence of a risk of occupation, like that seen during the violent anti-Covid protests of 2022. But police could respond if protesters moved to occupy Parliament grounds.
“I don’t think you are going to see a counter-protest group that will be able to turn out and overwhelm the hīkoi,” Mitchell said.
Hīkoi organiser had been working closely with police to reduce as much disruption as possible, he said.
Will Govt ministers address the protesters?
There is expected to be a massive security presence on the parliamentary precinct today.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday night said a “small delegation of National MPs will be available to meet the hikoi tomorrow”.
“The Prime Minister is still considering options to engage.”
Luxon previously said he was open to meeting with a delegation from the hīkoi.
National MPs will be discussing which MPs will go out to face the hīkoi this morning.
Health Minister Shane Reti said caucus would discuss who would be in the National Party’s delegation and what the messages would, but it would likely reinforce that National would not support the Treaty Principles Bill at its second reading.
Act leader David Seymour, the minister behind the contentious legislation, will wait until closer to the hīkoi arrives before deciding whether to front. One of the organisers previously said they had no interest in meeting with Seymour.
“I am in two minds,” Seymour said on Monday. “Let’s see what the vibe of it is and if there is an invitation from the organisers.
“I think if I walk out there and they don’t want to give me a chance to speak, and so on, you sort of wonder what you are doing there.”
But Seymour, who has said the legislation was important in generating a national conversation about the Treaty’s place in our constitutional arrangements, said he would welcome the opportunity to speak, in principle.
Labour’s Chris Hipkins said members of his party would join the march as it moves from Waitangi Park in central Wellington to Parliament. The party rescheduled its usual Tuesday caucus meeting to Monday night so MPs were available.
Hipkins expected a “very diverse” crowd “expressing their disappointment in the path that this Government has chosen”.
“It is a path that is designed to divide the country. It’s a path that is playing to prejudice. It’s a path that is designed to whip up fear, anger and resentment.”
However, he couldn’t commit to speaking at the Parliament event, saying it’s ultimately up to the organisers to determine who gives speeches.
Green MPs will also be among the hīkoi. The party’s justice spokeswoman Tamatha Paul is expected to speak at Parliament.
Te Pāti Māori MPs have been part of the hīkoi since it began. One of the key figures in the Toitū Te Tiriti group that organised the protest is Eru Kapa-Kingi, son of Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and someone who works for the party.
“To be honest, there is probably a lot inside Toitū Te Tiriti movement who are related to us, working for us, working at the marae,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“The reality is, this is something we have, by rights, an ability to do, which is to defend what we believe in. We believe that we should be able to be Māori, we believe we should be able to have equal rights to be indigenous, and everyone should be living equally with honour and peace, but not at the cost of us having to defend our rights to be indigenous.”
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