Waitangi Day in New Zealand is marked by controversy as Māori leaders condemn a proposed bill to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, sparking protests and political tensions.

The bill’s architect, David Seymour, met with protests at Waitangi marae — a Māori meeting house — during speeches by political leaders on Wednesday, as he made a fresh pitch for the law. The measures are widely derided and prompted tens of thousands of people to march on Parliament in Wellington last November.

A bill aimed at ending long-standing rights from the indigenous population has fuelled this year’s heated events.