Massive Protests Erupt in New Zealand Against Government's Indigenous Policies

Thousands of protesters in New Zealand have demonstrated against the new right-leaning government's policies towards Indigenous people. The protests coincided with the opening session of the 54th parliament and were organized by the Te Pati Maori party. The coalition government has pledged to review affirmative action policies, change department names from Maori to English, and remove references to the Treaty of Waitangi. Two people were arrested during the demonstrations, and disruptions to traffic occurred in several cities. The National Party leader defended his government's actions, while the leader of ACT New Zealand accused Te Pati Maori of prioritizing divisive theatrics over solutions for Indigenous people.