Protesters deface Treaty exhibition at Te Papa

A man has been arrested after abseiling inside Wellington’s Te Papa and taking an angle grinder to the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition.

He is one of several people arrested by police for vandalising the exhibition.

A police spokesperson told The New Zealand Herald that at midday a group of protesters entered Te Papa level 4 and began defacing parts of the exhibition.

“Police will provide an update on the number of those arrested and charges faced later this afternoon.”

Te Papa spokeswoman Kate Camp said the wooden display panel showing the English translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi was damaged with spray paint and some kind of power tool.

No museum collection items were damaged, Camp said.

The museum’s fourth floor will remain closed for the rest of the day and the Signs of a Nation display where the protest occurred is closed until further notice.

“Our focus is on the safety of everyone in our museum, and on the protection of the taonga in our care,” Camp said.

”We respect the right of people to express their views and to protest but we are disappointed that the group has damaged this museum display.”

Camp said the display shows English and te reo Māori versions of the Treaty and the information panels highlighted the differences.