The New Zealand Parliament has voted to impose record suspensions on three lawmakers who did a Maori haka as a protest. The incident took place last November during a debate on a law on Indigenous rights.
New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday agreed to lengthy suspensions for three lawmakers who disrupted the reading of a controversial bill last year by performing a haka, a traditional Maori dance.
Two parliamentarians — Te Pati Maori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi — were suspended for 21 days and one — Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, from the same party — for seven days.
Before now, the longest suspension of a parliamentarian in New Zealand was three days.
Protest MUST disrupt something or it will be ignored. That’s why riots and boycotts get shit done while normal protests fizzle out.
Every major social policy change I’m aware of was accompanied by riots.
Disrupting parliament is far less violent than a riot yet still makes the point effectively.
Thats okay, but disruption has consequences, so being banned or fined or whatever just happens
Before Thursday, the longest suspension was for three days.