Unusual form of protest among New Zealand parliament members

The New Zealand parliament has been temporarily suspended due to protest. Members began performing the ritual dance "haka" because of a law that, in their opinion, restricts the rights of the country's indigenous people.

In New Zealand, members of parliament disrupted a session of parliament by performing a traditional Maori dance, the haka.

According to local media, Te Pati Maori members were protesting against a bill to revise the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between the British and Maori chiefs. The treaty set out how the two parties agreed to govern. But decisions by the courts and a separate Maori tribunal gradually expanded the rights and privileges of the Maori. At the same time, many New Zealanders believed that this discriminated against non-Indigenous citizens.

Last week, the ACT New Zealand party introduced a bill that would enshrine in law a narrower interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi. Now, Maori representatives believe that the bill undermines the rights of indigenous people.

During a parliamentary session, MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clark tore up a copy of the bill and performed a Maori dance. She was subsequently suspended from parliament for 24 hours.