Protesters have damaged a Te Tiriti o Waitangi display at Wellington's Te Papa today.
Photos show protesters abseiling inside the museum and defacing the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition with spray paint on the fourth level.
In a statement to Newshub, Te Papa said the wooden display panel showing the English translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi was damaged with spray paint and some kind of power tool at around midday.
No museum collection items were damaged, a spokesperson said.
Police can now advise that 12 people were arrested following a protest at Te Papa today where parts of the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition were defaced.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with intentional damage, obstructing police, and breach of bail.
A 53-year-old woman has been charged with intentional damage.
A 46-year-old man and 52-year old woman have been charged with breach of bail.
Eight protesters were arrested for trespass after refusing to leave Te Papa. They were escorted outside, formally trespassed and released without charge.
Level four of the museum will be closed for the rest of the day, however, the rest of the museum remains open. The Signs of a Nation display where the protest occurred is closed until further notice, a Te Papa spokesperson said.
"Our focus is on the safety of everyone in our museum, and on the protection of the taonga in our care.
"We respect the right of people to express their views and to protest but we are disappointed that the group has damaged this museum display."
The display shows English and te reo Māori versions of the Treaty and its information panels highlight the differences.
"The exhibition has evolved over time, and it will continue to," the spokesperson said.
"We have engaged with Te Waka Hourua before, including releasing information under the Official Information Act."
Te Waka Hourua activist group has previously protested to replace the English version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi with a new "accurate translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi 184".
In a video of the incident on Twitter, a protester can be heard telling a member of the public "it's not a translation".
"This English writing of it [the Treaty] means something quite different to what the chiefs signed," she said.
"We want this to come down and a true translation of the indigenous copy put up."
Te Waka Hourua spokesperson Haimana Hirini accused Te Papa of knowingly displaying "the English document in a way that misleads visitors to believe it is an accurate translation of Te Tiriti, which it most certainly is not".
"While Te Tiriti affirms Māori sovereignty, the English document says it was ceded.
"Te Papa even ignored their own Māori Advisory Group, who advised that Te Tiriti should be accompanied by an accurate English translation.
"Instead, Te Papa perpetuated a dangerous lie long used by the government to trample Māori rights and enforce colonial rule on the land and its people.
"The miseducation around Te Tiriti has resulted in a population who are ignorant of the promises made to Māori, leading to fearfulness and division. This is why it is so important that our national museum provides clarity and displays an accurate translation for all New Zealanders to be able to read and understand," said Hirini.
Following the protest, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said protests should not involve defacing property at the national museum.
He wouldn't give his view on whether the English version of the Treaty should be taken down.
The group Te Hau Kōmaru National Waka Hourua Charitable Trust said that there is no relationship between the protest group called Te Waka Hourua and any waka hourua organisations in Aotearoa.
Watch the full video for more.
