Monday, Feb 07, 2005
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WELLINGTON, FEB. 6. Peaceful protests marked New Zealand's annual celebration on Sunday of its founding 1840 Treaty of Waitangi — a day often punctuated by angry confrontations involving indigenous Maori protesting their loss of land and culture. Wet, windy weather was the biggest disruption of the 165th commemoration of the February 6 treaty signing between Britain and the Maori. The weather also grounded a fleet of nine Maori war canoes, which was to put on a display in the bay near Waitangi, a town in northern New Zealand. The New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, was greeted warmly when she joined people shopping at market stalls in Waitangi. The event was in stark contrast to 2004, when she was jostled by scores of angry protesters who crowded her as she left one venue. At one stage hundreds of protesters surrounded ceremonial flagpoles at the treaty grounds, chanting at a 60-strong contingent of police officers, who blocked any protest flags from being raised. But there was little tension and no violence as the group marched away. Last year, police and protesters clashed in an ugly confrontation in front of the pole. Protesters usually voice their concern about historic government breaches of the treaty, which saw colonist governments seize Maori lands and other resources that the treaty pledged to protect. Maori, who number 15 percent of the nation of 4 million, remain among the poorest, least healthy and most unemployed New Zealanders, making up half the prison population. — AP
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