New Zealand's Parliament Suspends Maori Lawmakers Over Haka Protest

New Zealand's Parliament on Thursday suspended three opposition lawmakers over their performance of the haka, a traditional Māori dance, as a protest while the body was considering a contentious bill last year.
In a party-line vote, lawmakers voted to suspend Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the co-leaders of the Te Pāti Māori party, without pay for 21 days. Another member of the party, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, was suspended for seven days.
The penalties were the harshest ever handed down to New Zealand lawmakers and came as the country has been retreating from a decades-long push to support the rights of Māori, its Indigenous people. It has also in recent years been engaging in an increasingly fraught debate about the place of Māori culture in public life.
The bill that drew the lawmakers' protest was put forward by a member of the governing coalition, the most conservative government in a generation. While it was destined to fail in Parliament, it became symbolic of what opponents characterized as the government's anti-Māori agenda.
During a reading of the proposed legislation in November, when the speaker asked Ms. Maipi-Clarke how her party would vote on it, she stood up, began to perform the haka and tore up what appeared to be her copy of the bill.
She moved onto the floor of the chamber and continued the performance, joined by Mr. Waititi and Ms. Ngarewa-Packer, as well as Peeni Henare, a Labour Party lawmaker who is Māori. The speaker, Gerry Brownlee, temporarily stopped the session, and Ms. Maipi-Clarke was suspended for a day over the protest, which Mr. Brownlee described as disrespectful.
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Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

The Dodgers say ICE tried to enter its stadium grounds. The federal agency calls the report ‘false': Here's what we know

Details from community members and law enforcement have emerged about what unfolded in Los Angeles Thursday as federal agents were seen just outside the vast Dodger Stadium parking lot. The news had sparked concerns that the Trump administration's immigration crackdown – and the ongoing raids that have taken place in public and at workplaces – was coming to the home of the World Series champions hours before a game against the San Diego Padres. The Los Angeles area has remained on edge since President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to the city on June 7. Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials say they don't know where federal agents will show up, and the White House is expecting ICE to arrest 3,000 people per day. While agents were still on scene, a few dozen protesters rushed to the Dodger Stadium area and began chanting anti-ICE slogans at the federal agents. Another few dozen people showed up before the evening game outside the stadium to protest. However, in response to the Los Angeles Dodgers' statement on X saying that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents requested access to the team's parking lot, ICE said its agents 'were never there.' Here's what we know: According to the Dodgers, agents from ICE arrived at Dodger Stadium on Thursday and asked for permission to access the team's parking lots, but the Dodgers denied them entry. The Dodgers hosted a celebrity softball game at 5:30 p.m. local time, before their home game against the San Diego Padres at 7:10 p.m. Thursday. A US Customs and Border Protection official, who maintained there were no operations related to the MLB franchise Thursday, told CNN that CBP vehicles were in a parking lot on Dodger Stadium grounds, and one of them had a car malfunction, which caused them to stay longer. 'This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The ICE account on X called out the Dodgers directly, saying their post was 'false.' 'We were never there,' the post read. The first image of unmarked vans and federal agents outside Dodger Stadium taken by a community activist, and the last sighting of these vans – taken by a chopper from a CNN affiliate – showed them at two different entry points over a period of nearly four hours. An Echo Park Rapid Response community activist, who did not want to be named, told CNN they followed agents directly from a Home Depot in Hollywood on Thursday to just outside the ballpark. The activist said around 7:25 a.m. local time, community members signaled 'what they called a really heavy ICE presence at the Home Depot in Hollywood,' so they headed that way. Once there, they saw two people being detained at a Home Depot and followed the vehicles in which the detainees were taken away, to near Dodger Stadium. They saw a CBP agent, the activist said, whom they had also seen and spoken to at the Home Depot. 'I asked what they were doing. He responded that they bring the detainees there (near Dodger Stadium) to process them,' the activist said. 'They conduct their investigation there without public interference, (…) that they can't do it in the Home Depot parking lot because the public makes it too dangerous.' Another activist in the area, Chelsea Kirk, posted images to social media around 8:15 a.m. local time, showing agents near the stadium's Gate A. Kirk told CNN she followed what she believed to be an ICE van from the Home Depot to Gate A at Dodger Stadium, where she said she saw federal agents staged. Kirk posted the first of her photos from Gate A, then followed agents to Gate E, where local CNN affiliates and protesters later showed up. Just before noon, CNN affiliate aerial footage showed the final vans being escorted out of this area. CNN has reached back out to CBP and ICE for clarification regarding the community members' description of events. No matter the purpose of their presence in the area, the appearance of federal agents at Dodger Stadium is enough to create a high-profile event given the atmosphere that is gripping Los Angeles – a city that is home to more than 1.35 million immigrants, according to the LA government in 2024. On June 6, raids occurred outside a Home Depot and an apparel warehouse in Los Angeles. The raids were among the operations that set off days of protests in the city. Ongoing raids and arrests by plainclothes agents have separated families and sparked fear across communities, including throughout Los Angeles. Some businesses have been closing early, with more customers staying home. As the school year ended, some students wept openly in class out of concern for their families. Relatives opted out of attending graduation ceremonies, while some nannies chose to stay close to their employers' homes, only taking the children around the block instead of public parks. Rumors of where ICE will be or how they'll be meeting the White House's demands for arrests have been rife, not just in LA, but across the country. With the FIFA Club World Cup attracting soccer fans to stadiums throughout the US, there have been worries that federal agents could target people coming to the games. CNN's Graham Hurley contributed to this report.

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2 hours ago

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Protesters gather after immigration raid targets car wash in L.A. County

Protesters gathered in southeast Los Angeles County Friday evening, facing off with masked men in fatigues after federal agents detained at least three people at a car wash in the city of Bell, according to witnesses, and visited another car wash in neighboring Maywood. The immigration action in Bell took place at Jack's Car Wash and Detailing, located in the 7000 block of Atlantic Avenue, just north of Florence Avenue. Security camera footage reviewed by The Times shows masked men wearing olive vests chasing a car wash employee, who was wearing a bright green uniform and cap. The video shows another employee — wearing a bright green cap, a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans — surrounded by the masked men, his hands restrained behind his back. The employee is tackled to the ground as customers and others gathered, with some taking out their phones to record videos. The man in the white-long sleeved shirt is a car wash worker who is a U.S. citizen, according to the employee's brother, Jesús Rafael Cervantes. He said his brother, who lives in Bell Gardens, wanted to defend a coworker— an action that, Cervantes said, prompted agents to detain his brother. "Just for defending someone, they came and knocked him down. As you can see in the videos, they came and knocked him down like that, just like that. And that's unfair, that they come and grab a person like that as if he were an animal or something," Cervantes told The Times. Protesters gathered to confront the agents in the area, which is about 6 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. In one video shared with The Times, a protester sprays white paint on a silver SUV and a voice can be heard saying, "Get the ... out of here!" while others jeer. People can be seen hitting the vehicle. Read more: 'They are grabbing people.' L.A. and Orange County car wash workers targeted by federal immigration raids Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for comment. In a statement posted on social media, the agency said Border Patrol vehicles "were violently targeted during lawful operations" in Bell and neighboring Maywood. The Department of Homeland Security said one vehicle was rammed and had its tires slashed on Atlantic Boulevard. On Slauson Avenue, a civilian struck a federal vehicle, totaling it, according to the department. "The driver was arrested for suspicion of vehicular assault as a mob formed and slashed additional tires," the department said. The statement included photos showing silver vehicles with cracked or shattered windows. One silver SUV was shown with dented doors and scratched paint. "Federal law enforcement is facing an ever-escalating increase in assaults—but we will not be deterred," the department said. "If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted." The statement did not indicate how many were detained on immigration-related matters. The protest in Bell, a city with a large Latino and Lebanese community, comes as the federal government continues its campaign in Los Angeles to find and capture undocumented immigrants. The actions have spurred backlash from local and state officials and have forced some residents into hiding. "We're not sure who these armed men are. They show up without uniforms. They show up completely masked. They refuse to give ID. They're driving regular cars with tinted windows and in some cases, out of state license plates. Who are these people?" Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a briefing Friday night. "If they're federal officials, why is it that they do not identify themselves?" Bass asked. Around Atlantic and Brompton avenues, crowds of people gathered, taking videos and looking at the agents — armed individuals wearing balaclavas, some carrying long weapons, wearing vests and camoflauge pants. They stood in the street near a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. The crowd and agents were separated by yellow tape. One woman with a bullhorn hurled obscenities at the agents and President Trump; others waved a Mexican flag and an upside-down U.S. flag, traditionally a symbol of protest or distress. "Losers!" another woman called out. "Go fight a real war!" Another shouted, "Shame on you!" Read more: More L.A. car washes targeted in immigration raids, some closed amid fears of further sweeps Elsewhere, one of the armed people wore a U.S. flag on his vest, and some onlookers called out to them. "Are you a bounty hunter? How much is the bounty for an illegal right now?" someone on the street yelled. Cudahy Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza was in Bell as the crowds gathered, and said the mood on Atlantic Avenue shifted when suddenly an unmarked silver SUV drove toward her and other people standing near her, angering the crowd. Some began to hit and throw objects at the SUV. A second unmarked vehicle attempted to do the same thing moments later, she said. "It felt like there was a point being made to incite violence," Alcantar Loza said. "People were peacefully protesting, and it became something completely different because of the vehicle that was trying to drive into the crowd." "We've seen it across the board, folks show up to an immigration activity and then violence is enacted upon them. Then they respond and we're shown as violent protesters—when in reality folks were calm, they were chanting, they were protesting. And they tried to run people over," she said. Just after 8 p.m., peaceful protesters waving Mexican and American flags gathered around Jack's Car Wash in Bell, as motorists honked their horns in support. "ICE out of everywhere!!!" one sign said. "Immigrants built this country," said another. There was another immigration action that appeared to focus on a car wash in Maywood on Friday, according to Maywood Councilman Eddie De La Riva. Ultimately no one was taken from that business, he said. At one point, there was considerable commotion near the car wash. Video shared with The Times shows a minor collision between a blue BMW and a blue SUV with at least three agents inside, all wearing green vests. One of the passengers in the SUV opens his door in front of the slowly moving BMW, causing the BMW to hit the SUV's door. Agents detained the BMW's driver, who was later released, the councilman said, after onlookers shouted at the agents to let the driver go. By then, a crowd of protesters had formed. Fernando Botello, 39, was driving back to Maywood after picking up his girlfriend's 14-year-old son when he got an alert on his citizen app that people suspected to be immigration agents were spotted in the area. Moments later, he said, he learned that the agents were at an Xpress Wash at Slauson and Alamo avenues, just blocks from his home. When Botello got close to the intersection, he could see several vehicles were blocking the roadway. Read more: Tensions over L.A. immigration sweeps boil over as Padilla is tackled, ICE arrests pick up Unable to move, he got out of the car and watched the scene. He said the crowd started screaming to let the man go. He could hear people asking for the agents' badge numbers. After five minutes, he said, local police arrived. It was at that point, he said, the agents got in their vehicles and threw tear gas at a group standing on a corner near a park. A video taken by Botello shows an armed masked man standing from the ledge of an open door of a black SUV slowly driving along a street near Maywood's Riverfront Park. The video shows the agent throwing an object toward a crowd of people, and a loud bang can be heard as he gets back in the vehicle. Botello said the object was a flash bang grenade, and was tossed at people who were taking video. "They knew what they wanted to do," he said. As he recounted the situation, Botello paused, trying to hold back tears. "I was upset because the people were exercising their right. They weren't hitting the officers' vehicles, they weren't in the middle of the street," he said. "You're punishing people for standing up for their neighbors and yourself." "It feels surreal. I don't know how long this is going to last." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Associated Press

5 hours ago

• Associated Press

Many Americans are witnessing immigration arrests for the first time and reacting

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Adam Greenfield was home nursing a cold when his girlfriend raced in to tell him Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were pulling up in their trendy San Diego neighborhood. The poet and podcast producer grabbed his iPhone and bolted out the door barefoot, joining a handful of neighbors recording masked agents raiding a popular Italian restaurant nearby, as they yelled at the officers to leave. An hour later, the crowd had grown to nearly 75 people, with many in front of the agents' vehicles. 'I couldn't stay silent,' Greenfield said. 'It was literally outside of my front door.' More Americans are witnessing people being hauled off as they shop, exercise at the gym, dine out and otherwise go about their daily lives as President Donald Trump's administration aggressively works to increase immigration arrests. As the raids touch the lives of people who aren't immigrants themselves, many Americans who rarely, if ever, participated in civil disobedience are rushing out to record the actions on their phones and launch impromptu protests. Arrests are being made outside gyms, busy restaurantsGreenfield said on the evening of the May 30 raid, the crowd included grandparents, retired military members, hippies, and restaurant patrons arriving for date night. Authorities threw flash bangs to force the crowd back and then drove off with four detained workers, he said. 'To do this, at 5 o'clock, right at the dinner rush, right on a busy intersection with multiple restaurants, they were trying to make a statement,' Greenfield said. 'But I don't know if their intended point is getting across the way they want it to. I think it is sparking more backlash.' Previously many arrests happened late at night or in the pre-dawn hours by agents waiting outside people's homes as they left for work or outside their work sites when they finished their day. When ICE raided another popular restaurant in San Diego in 2008, agents did it in the early morning without incident. White House border czar Tom Homan has said agents are being forced to do more arrests in communities because of sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with ICE in certain cities and states. ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help in alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding that person until federal officers take custody. Vice President JD Vance during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday said those policies have given agents 'a bit of a morale problem because they've had the local government in this community tell them that they're not allowed to do their job.' 'When that Border Patrol agent goes out to do their job, they said within 15 minutes they have protesters, sometimes violent protesters who are in their face obstructing them,' he said. 'It was like a scene out of a movie' Melyssa Rivas had just arrived at her office in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California one morning last week when she heard the frightened screams of young women. She went outside to find the women confronting nearly a dozen masked federal agents who had surrounded a man kneeling on the pavement. 'It was like a scene out of a movie,' Rivas said. 'They all had their faces covered and were standing over this man who was clearly traumatized. And there are these young girls screaming at the top of their lungs.' As Rivas began recording the interaction, a growing group of neighbors shouted at the agents to leave the man alone. They eventually drove off in vehicles, without detaining him, video shows. Rivas spoke to the man afterward, who told her the agents had arrived at the car wash where he worked that morning, then pursued him as he fled on his bicycle. It was one of several recent workplace raids in the majority-Latino city. The same day, federal agents were seen at a Home Depot, a construction site and an LA Fitness gym. It wasn't immediately clear how many people had been detained. 'Everyone is just rattled,' said Alex Frayde, an employee at LA Fitness who said he saw the agents outside the gym and stood at the entrance, ready to turn them away as another employee warned customers about the sighting. In the end, the agents never came in. Communities protest around ICE buildings Arrests at immigration courts and other ICE buildings have also prompted emotional scenes as masked agents have turned up to detain people going to routine appointments and hearings. In the city of Spokane in rural eastern Washington state, hundreds of people rushed to protest outside an ICE building June 11 after former city councilor Ben Stuckart posted on Facebook. Stuckart wrote that he was a legal guardian of a Venezuelan asylum seeker who who went to check in at the ICE building only to be detained. His Venezuelan roommate was also detained. Both men had permission to live and work in the U.S. temporarily under humanitarian parole, Stuckart told The Associated Press. 'I am going to sit in front of the bus,' Stuckart wrote, referring to the van that was set to transport the two men to an ICE detention center in Tacoma. 'The Latino community needs the rest of our community now. Not tonight, not Saturday but right now!!!!' The city of roughly 230,000 is the seat of Spokane County, where just over half of voters cast ballots for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Stuckart was touched to see his mother's caregiver among the demonstrators. 'She was just like, 'I'm here because I love your mom, and I love you, and if you or your friends need help, then I want to help,'' he said through tears. By evening, the Spokane Police Department sent over 180 officers, with some using pepper balls, to disperse protesters. Over 30 people were arrested, including Stuckart who blocked the transport van with others. He was later released. Aysha Mercer, a stay-at-home mother of three, said she is 'not political in any way, shape or form.' But many children in her Spokane neighborhood -- who play in her yard and jump on her trampoline -- come from immigrant families, and the thought of them being affected by deportations was 'unacceptable,' she said. She said she wasn't able to go to Stuckart's protest. But she marched for the first time in her life on June 14, joining millions in 'No Kings' protests across the country. 'I don't think I've ever felt as strongly as I do right this here second,' she said. _____ Offenhartz reported from Los Angeles and Rush from Portland, Oregon.