The University of Auckland is remaining tight-lipped about a controversial sign the deputy Prime Minister is likening to segregation.
Newshub was supplied an image of the sign by a man claiming to be a university student, who also believed it was "segregating Māori and Pasifika from other races".
"This is a designated area for Māori and Pasifika students. Thank you," reads the university Business School sign, which appeared to be located outside a study area.
ACT subsequently shared a photo of the sign on X, which had more than 300 comments at the time of writing. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has also weighed in.
"If it is true, then this is the seed of segregation," Peters said.
"We have seen it before in apartheid South Africa, and the segregation days in the United States."
The image has also been shared to other social media platforms.
"There is no issue with providing resource to those who require it... There is a massive problem when using race and segregation to specifically deliver that," one comment on Reddit said.
"I'm Polynesian and this is stupid and there [sic] excuse would be colonisation when other uni students have nothing to do it with it," another stated.
"I think there used to be good intentions. It's more tokenism and virtue signalling now where the intended benefactors are themselves and not the people they purport to be helping," added another.
The university confirmed the sign was authentic and had been removed, Christchurch's Chris Lynch Media reported.
But a university spokesperson refused to verify this when contacted by Newshub, only confirming she had responded to Chris Lynch Media.
Meanwhile, not all social media comments were negative. One said on Reddit: "This sign shouldn't be needed... But until we rid the world of discrimination, then it is."
"When I was at uni 10+ years ago the tuakana space was a safe space to go and feel comfortable, back then there weren't many PI (Pacific Islanders) at uni and having a sense of community and support was really beneficial to me and my experience," another wrote.
Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds' office has been contacted for comment.
Newshub.
