Crowds gathered in Queens Garden between 10am and noon to protest the coalition government’s proposed plans regarding te reo Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The protest coincided with Kingi Tuheitia’s call to a national hui, held on Saturday at Tūrungawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, Waikato.
Dunedin organiser Richie Ratahi said the coalition government’s proposed policies were divisive and oppressive and those who gathered in central Dunedin were standing in solidarity for treaty rights, Māori rights and the future of Aotearoa’s mokopuna (descendants).
"I’d like to see a future where our children don’t have to fight like this just for the rights of themselves and I would like to see a truly bicultural New Zealand flourishing."
Many people got up to share their thoughts and wishes, talking about their experiences in New Zealand throughout childhood and adulthood, challenges they had faced and what the protest and the strong show of solidarity with their community meant for them.
The crowd sang waiata, performed haka, joined together in karakia and it was all topped off with a final waiata sung by some of the children in attendance.
Mr Ratahi said he would like to see a bicultural society with a solid platform that could cater to those in need, no matter where they were from.
"I'd like to see the government acknowledging the obligations to the treaty and to the mana whenua and tangata whenua.
"I think they do a great job of governing for the average New Zealander, but they aren’t doing their best for mana whenua rights. I would like them to develop better systems for them."
The group Toitū te Tiriti: Ōtepoti Activation held meetings twice a week in the lead-up to the protest, where the group practised their waiata, made signs and talked about their aims and goals.
"This was to ensure the integrity of the protest and to keep everything safe and respectful. We want to keep this all nice, calm and educated."
About 70 people attended the meetings, but the crowd on the day of the protest was much larger and estimated to be about 200 people.
"It’s amazing, but also expected — we’re hoping to quadruple that in coming weeks," he said.
The group will hold two more protests. The next is on Thursday in the Octagon and then a march from Queens Garden to the Octagon on Waitangi Day, February 6.
