Māori Party

04 August 2019

‘Armed Police at Ihumātao is history repeating itself’ The Māori Party condemns the actions of armed Police who attempted to block Ihumātao protectors from access to the maunga to conduct waerea, karakia and waiata today.

“What is the state of relations between tangata whenua and the State when peaceful whenua protectors are subjected to the terror of Police bearing arms?” says Che Wilson, President of the Māori Party. “Where else are peaceful protests in Aotearoa met by armed Police? The answers that spring to mind are my people of Parihaka and the more recent example of the Tuhoe raids,” he says.

“Knowing the well documented impact this terror has had on our communities, I condemn the actions of Police today. There is no place for State actions which cause intergenerational trauma on our people, and that is undoubtedly what armed Police at Ihumātao will do.”

“The threat of passive resistance surely cannot justify armed Police in growing numbers. Only yesterday we were at Ihumātao when hundreds from Tainui joined Kīngi Tuheitia to recount the shared history of the Crown’s deliberate attempt to eliminate the people of Ihumātao and all of Tainui as staunch supporters of the Kīngitanga.”

“And more importantly, what more does the State have planned at Ihumātao to subjugate the rights of our people at the expense of others?. This is history repeating itself and one has to wonder who the Government is really siding with. Fletchers? The building developers? Who knows, but what is clear, if this is not a wake up call to whānau about putting their trust and confidence in the Labour-led coalition Government, I don’t know what is,” says Mr Wilson.

ENDS.

© Scoop Media