Tens of thousands march in New Zealand Maori rights protest

WELLINGTON: Booming Indigenous Maori “haka” chants rang out across New Zealand´s capital on Tuesday, as tens of thousands rallied against a conservative push to redefine the nation´s founding treaty.

More than 35,000 demonstrators poured into the harbourside city of Wellington, police said, shutting down busy streets as their spirited procession inched its way towards parliament.

Bare-chested men draped in traditional feather cloaks were joined by horse riders waving the red, white and black Maori flag.

Children marched alongside adults bearing distinctive full-face Maori “moko” tattoos and clutching ceremonial wooden weapons.