Veteran protester welcomes fresh blood

By RENEE KIRIONA with the Hikoi

Bernie Hornfeck is a Pakeha who for almost 30 years has made it his business to stand with Maori at the protest line.

But the Rotorua man, who migrated to New Zealand from England in 1950, is getting tired - not physically tired but exhausted by seeing Maori having to justify themselves again and again.

Yesterday Mr Hornfeck was back behind the scenes of another struggle helping to organise the march against the foreshore and seabed legislation in the Te Arawa stronghold of Rotorua.

His track record of protest involvement goes back to the 1975 land march led by Dame Whina Cooper, the Bastion Pt protest (he was arrested), the Springbok tour (where he came close to being arrested), the fiscal envelope march and the hikoi against poverty.

"Today there's a new generation of strong, intelligent and keen young Maori coming through," he said.

"This is a great help to the old ones, like me, who have been there from the beginning.

"However, the visions of Maori have widened between the grassroots and those in their suits," he said.

Yesterday morning the march started up again from Waahi Pa at Huntly then progressed to Taupiri Mountain, Ngaruawahia and then into Hamilton.

Angeline Greensill, daughter of the late Maori rights activist Eva Rickard, described the Foreshore and Seabed Bill as "legislative theft".

She also called on Maori to strip the Labour Party of its seven Maori seats and vote for a Maori political party in the next elections.

Hone Harawira, who has been leading the march since it began on April 22, sent a hard-hitting message to all Maori MPs who supported the bill.

"They are all going to come back to us when they die but we don't want to wait that long.

"We want them to come back now."

Marchers put up with the chilly temperatures and light drizzle throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty yesterday.

That did not stop a relay of more than 10 men from carrying a Maori sovereignty flag from Hamilton to Rotorua on foot last night.

Nor did it stop more than 300 kohanga reo children, kura kaupapa Maori students or wheelchair-bound Piripi Crown, of Te Kuiti, from taking part.

Rotorua lawyer and Maori rights activist Annette Sykes said Labour MP Tariana Turia, who has come under fire from her party's leader for her plans to cross the floor, had returned to her people to seek direction on what she should do.

There was full support for what Mrs Turia was doing among the marchers.

Today the protesters will march through Rotorua city centre, then travel by convoy to Taupo, which they are expected to reach about 5pm.