The bill’s architect, David Seymour, met with protests at Waitangi marae — a Māori meeting house — during speeches by political leaders on Wednesday, as he made a fresh pitch for the law. The measures are widely derided and prompted tens of thousands of people to march on Parliament in Wellington last November.

Waitangi Day in New Zealand is marked by controversy as Māori leaders condemn a proposed bill to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, sparking protests and political tensions.

New Zealand on Thursday marked the anniversary of its founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi. The day came with quiet protests of government officials by some Māori leaders amid a national period of fractured race relations and the absence of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon from a gathering of politicians and Māori tribes which the country's leader traditionally attends.

Through this Waitangi Day event, IWPG emphasized the need for a women-led peace movement to New Zealand citizens and encouraged more people to join the journey of peace. It is expected that IWPG’s continued activities will take deeper root in New Zealand society.

Thousands gathered across New Zealand yesterday to celebrate the signing of the country’s founding document and some called for an end to government policies that critics say erode the rights promised to the indigenous Maori population.