Pride and passion: Students reflect on school protest

Eava Salt is a 16-year-old student in year 13 at Freyberg High School. She attended the protest against ACT NZ leader and Regulation Minister David Seymour on March 14.

More than 100 students from Freyberg High School stood in front of the office to protest a visitor at their school, Government minister David Seymour. Seymour arrived at the school around 1pm to discuss increasing school attendance with Freyberg staff.

A crowd began to form during lunchtime, with waiata and haka being sung in protest of Seymour’s presence at school. Songs included Tutira Mai Nga Iwi and Toku Reo Toku Ohooho.

It was clear protesters had peaceful intentions, with the group of students protesting recent actions made against te ao Māori and the use of te reo Māori, such as the ACT party planning to review the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Student Tali Cooper wants New Zealand to know that: “We knew exactly why we were there. A lot of the kids were educated on recent events enacted by the ACT party and David Seymour himself.

“We are upset that we are not heard by our Government. We are not embarrassed that we stood up for what’s right.

“We wanted to make a stand for the decisions being made without consideration on how it affects the next generation, and that’s all that was.’’

Other students began forming around the original protesters.

They were confused and interested; protests aren’t a regular sighting on Freyberg grounds.

Student Connor Menthony had no idea Seymour was arriving at all: “I just showed up and there were already so many people there, I decided to show my support.”

Students waited for Seymour to appear, seemingly convinced he was hiding in the office, afraid to face the crowd.

The crowd began to disperse as lunch went over to class time. Seymour emerged from the front of the school at 2.10pm, and was immediately met with screams and boos.

A haka then began, full of passion and pride for not only the school but the students themselves.

The haka ended with a student spitting on the ground in front of Seymour’s feet.

The student in question has not yet commented on his actions, associates insisting that whatever is said will be misconstrued.

Students are upset the focus of the event in previous days has been about the culmination of anger as Seymour left the school, instead of the peaceful protest it originally was.

It is clear that there were students there who intended to protest about other issues and there was a definite struggle to push across the intended message.

Freyberg student Sophie feels there has been no reporting on why students gathered in the first place, and their anger was dismissed by Seymour as nothing more than ‘‘kids getting a bit excited’’and calling the protest ‘‘theatrical’’.

Sophie said: ‘’It’s important for Māori students to stand against the government who are diminishing their history. The students were there to stand proud of their manaakitanga and support the next generation.

“How are you going to raise mokopuna to fight for what is right, when all you do is push us down?’’

Students feel that Seymour should acknowledge the protest for what it was, an outcry that the next generation are here and they are ready to be loud.