59 Comments

Thanks, Nick. This was some gathering. I experienced every emotion: awe, love, warmth, laughter and frustration with my aging body. Laughter at sight of Maori Wardens circumspectly following the noisy motor cycle group; awe at the superb organisation; warmth for those who helped an elderly pakeha cope with failing legs and love for all of us who value that we were born in a country that had signed such a wonderful Tiriti. We won today and we will join with Maori to win forever.

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So well said Marian

This aging body gave me some grief too but we did it! Slow walking is very hard on old hips

The organisation and general goodwill were inspiring and people were so supportive and generous

A day for the ages

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Marian, I totally agree with you! I was there and proud to participate! Nick, as always, a superb korero! Thank you from the heart!!⭐️

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Beautiful heartfelt comment Marian.

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Ake Ake Ake - tautoko!

Powerful, peaceful, poignant and our future.

But, and forgive me if I am being dumb and naive but surely if Luxon had just one brain cell, now would be the time to act? Kill the bill by simply acknowledging the people Parliament serves say No!

Personally I’d rather he would call a snap election but at least admit defeat while having some dignity and acknowledgement of the people?

Instead, once again he hides behind someone else - the select committee

There must be a way to stop it now, not more of that childish Seymour saying all of us are immature?

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Beautiful Kōrero Nick. I watched the live stream and was amazed with the sheer numbers that turned out regardless of race to support te Tiriti. Much Aroha for everyone especially our Kuini and Hana. A moment in history to cherish but the fight has just begun! Seymour looked visibly shaken and will go and hide behind parliament privilege and his keyboard. Let’s hope Gerry will be lenient with his deliberations with Hana and her haka cohorts. Seymour and Jones are out to nail te Pati Māori. Kia kaha as now is the need to submit our Kōrero against altering the treaty principles. Everyone needs to do this!

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I had a tear in my eyes watching the kotahitanga on display from up here in Auckland. But also scenes in Rarotonga, London, global support for this kaupapa. I love the line about no one leaving the marae hungry, perfect metaphor for how uplifting te iwi Māori uplifts us all. Toitū te Tiriti ❤️🤍🖤

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One thing I noticed, when I joined in Tāmaki Makaurau, was the thousands more supporters watching and honking horns and smiling from the sidelines. I assume the same was true in Te Whanganui a Tara. David Seymour should perhaps be asking himself, where were all the counter-protestors through all this? Where were all those other NZers who apparently feel so passionately about ”equality” that they think we need this conversation to be had, and who would therefore be righteously offended by this activism? After all, David's convinced himself (and the pliant media), that some large portion of the country wanted this debate!... Where were those people in all this, David?? Is it maybe becoming clear now that, actually, your "support" for this divisive shit is coming exclusively from a handful of racist, vitamin-D-starved, incels and a few power-mad foreign billionaires with signed copies of Atlas Shrugged? A bunch of babies who will happily let you fight and humiliate yourself to defend their privilege?... It makes me wonder - David - if you've considered whether you're perhaps one of the bad guys??

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I was walking along the side and pretty much every business had staff at their doors smiling and waving. I suspect Lambton Quay is a bit more blase about protests as it is a relatively common occurrence but the mood was far more openly supportive than typical.

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Seymour, the prize "arrogant prick", is supported by big Atlas, Corporate money wanting to rape NZ of it's assets. Te Tiriti is the big blockage in the way. Answer, get rid of it.

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I got to Courtney Place at 9.45am. The stream of marchers had begun and continued until 11.15. At the back were the five horses Their riders quietly watching the back.. I took pictures and directed people to the Embasy which had left its doors open so toilets could be accessed. The police and Măori Wardens did a great job quietly redirecting traffic. The only scary moment was when a pink woman cyclist rode too fast up onto the footpath. I suggested she get off and walk. So from my perspective all but one behaved in the spirit of cooperation. Toitu te Tiriti!

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Wow so enjoyed that. Yes I know what you meant about foggy eyes. Very proud of all who attended in many ways but what remains in the mind is; their calm resolve; aesthetics - colours, signs; Maori warriors; poi dancers; The striking chants and splendid songs; Helmut; Hana; a horse and I could go on. A tremendous set of movie. Nga Mihi Nui x

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So cool. What an emotional rollercoaster as several people sent me videos including yours! So many friends were there! Love your account!

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You were in a good spot to get some good photo's & videos Nick! Close enough to the frontline action.

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Proud that my whanau were there too .

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Ngā mihi Nick. I’m not even sure that slimeball Seymour believes his own announcements, just doing his best for the bigger mission - I wish media would stop getting him oxygen.

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He reminds me of that horrible Tom Cruise who pushes that evil Scientology cult.

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🖤❤️🫂I was watching livestream heading to Otautahi activation but kept losing audio once it switched to Parliament grounds 😥 heard later there were some wifi issues so stopped blaming my phone😊 Good turnout here but sound system not loud enough if you weren't near front, but it was the being there that mattered, & the crowd singing waiata didn't need a sound system 😁👍

Thanks for sharing what it was like & the images. I think it was inspiring & emotional because there is such an inclusive message - total opposite to Seymour whingeing & whining & acting like a petulant child, & calling anyone who speaks against him names, while continuing to misrepresent Te Tiriti & "equality" v *equity" in Aotearoa today. Such a despicable little toad 🐸

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This is an insult to toads. So I started hunting for some other term; troglodyte maybe. Nope that would be an insult to cave dwellers. Hmm, seems like David Seymour (and others like him) are in a class of unpleasantness that is yet to be named.

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I liken $leazemore and Slimeon to little worms. I just can't believe how patronising $leazemore is. "So you wouldn't want to take this hikoi as being representative of New Zealand". He is so dismissive and arrogant. And out of touch. This Bill will be his downfall and it can't happen soon enough.

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Jacinda said he was an arrogant p....!

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Well she wasn't wrong was she?!

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Truthsayer

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😁😂😱I knew as soon as I said it SOMEONE would come to defend toads 🐸 as not being as low on the unpleasant scale as David Seymour et al ⁉️🐸🤷

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Didymo a slimy weed

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Didymour

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A great day and a beautiful memory to hold tight as we go into the next phase.

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Toitū te tiriti! Ake Ake Ake!! Tautoko Nick - great photos thank you. I was sorry I couldn't get there, but plenty of my friends/relatives did and they relayed the empowering wairua of this gathering. Absolutely how dare David Seymour - who obviously 'Seys less'.! Such a dumb, brainless act by him and very disappointing of the coalition parties who let it get this far. On an international level - how humiliating for these government leaders (questionable as there was no leadership in this). Another negative move by them - which have been pretty prevalent since their installation.

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The Police ,probably on Speaker Gerry"s instructions, blocked off the lawn in front of the parliamentary library. So hundreds of people, including old people, had to stand behind the fence in Hill Street where you couldn't see or hear the speakers.

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Yup! I reckon

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My day started with meeting the Māori Wardens at Upper Hutt station this morning. Linking them with who to follow on Insta so they could see more of what was going on.

Fellow travellers on the the train and desperate queuing for the toilets before heading off to find the hīkoi. Not great planning for the station to have the main toilets out of action.

Having marched for Palestine it's not an uncommon experience being in the middle of it all. Parliament grounds was so packed there was nowhere to go but stay outside of things. I would have loved to have seen the speeches first hand. Seeing a literal sea of people in every direction was the greatest feeling. I had been a bit worried that the emotions would overtake me today as they have for so many days before today watching all the videos available; Hana, Rawiri, Eru, Tākuta and others.

Toitū te Tiriti, Ake, Ake, Ake

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What a wonderful account and photos, thanks Nick. I’ve deleted my photos from today - they just didn’t do the event justice and there are so many better ones. I cried too, with a complete stranger. Then we laughed. What a day. That’s how it should be done.

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