Mike Johnson: Police Assistant Commissioner on the Te Pati Māori protest and rolling carkois

Traffic is being disrupted around the country this morning with thousands of people joining motorcades and hikoi against the Government's positions on Māori issues.  A campaign group named Toitū Te Tiriti (Honour the Treaty) planned a strike today to “demonstrate a unified Aotearoa response to the Government’s assault on tangata whenua [Māori people] and Te Tiriti of Waitangi”.  Protesters were expected to meet around New Zealand from 6.30am with marches and vehicle convoys planned along motorways, main streets, and rallies in town centres.  Te Pāti Māori, alongside the Toitū Te Tiriti, said in an online post that the action was intended to “prove the might of [the Māori] economy by disconnecting entirely from it”.  Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson told Mike Hosking that the largest protests are on Auckland's Northern, Northwestern, and Southern Motorways.  He said that while they recognise the right to protest, they are there to minimise disruption and deal with people who break the law.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.