All Blacks legend Sonny Bill Williams speaks out on New Zealand parliament protests as 40,000 Maori protesters march in objection to new treaty
All Blacks legend Sonny Bill Williams has broken his silence on recent protests against a hugely controversial bill that aims to radically reinterpret New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi.
The agreement was signed on February 6, 1840 by the British Crown and approximately 540 Maori chiefs. The document is considered crucial to upholding Maori rights.
The new piece of legislation, called the Treaty Principles Bill, has been introduced into the New Zealand parliament by a junior member of the libertarian ACT party – the small group in the country’s coalition government.
ACT claims that the Waitangi Treaty has seen the country grant greater legal and political rights to its indigenous peoples, adding that their proposed bill is intended to end what they call ‘divisiveness by race’ .
Despite this, the proposed legislation in New Zealand has caused massive outrage among some indigenous communities, with more than 40,000 people taking to the streets of Wellington in protest against the new law.
Activists joined what is known as a hikoi – a peaceful protest – that has spread across the country.
Former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has broken his silence on recent protests in New Zealand
A proposed bill has sparked outrage among some of the country’s Maori communities
Hauraki Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke led a Haka last week while the New Zealand Parliament was in session
New Zealand rugby sensation Williams has now spoken out about the situation on his Instagram story.
The footy star has been a strong advocate for Polynesian, Maori and Muslim communities in the past, as previously reported The New Zealand Herald that he aspires to become a “voice for the voiceless.”
On Tuesday, the former boxing star, 39, reshared a post from @Khaledbeydoun on his Instagram Story, showing two men performing what’s known as a hongi, a traditional Maori greeting where two people press their noses together.
The message read: ‘Stand up for the rights of Maori in New Zealand as Maori stood up for Muslims.’
Williams added his own commentary to the post, writing, “Their fight, our fight,” and adding three heart emojis.
The former rugby league star converted to Islam after leaving the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in 2008. He moved to France to play for Toulon and it was during this period that he found his new faith.
In the post, Instagram user @Khaledbeydoun refers to how Maori communities “stood side by side with Muslims” after the 2019 Christchurch shootings, in which 51 people were killed at two mosques in the city.
Williams had previously paid an emotional tribute to the victims of the Christchurch attack.
Parliament was shut down after gallery members and attendees performed the Haka
Williams re-shared a post from @Khaeledbeydoun on his Instagram Story, writing: ‘Stand up for Maori rights in New Zealand like Maori stood up for Muslims’
Williams has been a strong advocate for Maori, Polynesian and Muslim communities
The rugby and boxing star played 58 games for New Zealand between 2010 and 2019
Williams, a devout Muslim, had previously paid an emotional tribute to the victims of the Christchurch attack and met with Muslim
The demonstrations also came after wild scenes broke out in the New Zealand parliament on Thursday.
Hauraki Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of the Te Pati Maori Party appeared to tear up a sheet of paper before performing the Haka.
Other MPs joined in, while spectators from the gallery also took part, as Labor and Green MPs protested.
Te Pati Maori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi had also conducted the Haka directly for the ACT Party seats and looked to leader David Seymour, a supporter of the bill.