Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi was leading the Wellington arm of Tuesday morning's protests and joined AM for an interview.
Waititi estimated 250-300 people had shown up for the Wellington arm of the protest and described it as "beautiful".
Gathered at the Aurora Terrace Bridge, a notoriously steep part of Wellington up the road from Parliament, Waititi said, "Although the hill is steep, ain't no mountain high enough".
Asked about the plan for the day by AM co-host Ryan Bridge, Waititi emphasised "This is not a protest; this is an activation".
"We will feed you, we will house you, we will care for you, we will love you, and that's the kaupapa," he said.
"This is an opportunity for us to come together. It's Te Tiriti led and the focus is for our mokopuna, for the future," he said.
Bridge noted Waititi's messaging was a departure from what had been said about the protest in its lead-up and asked what the protest was against specifically.
"We don't need divisive policies, what we need are progressive policies, policies that lift people out of poverty, policies that allow people to be able to live with some dignity," Waititi said.
He was also keen to highlight his party's desire to close the mortality gap between Māori and non-Māori.
He said the protest "was about standing up to say there is a better way and Aotearoa is ready for progressive policies.
He said the protest was against "policies that you're going to move in the next 100 days, policies that take us back 100 years," referring to the new government's 100-day action plan.
Asked whether he was willing to give new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon a chance to deliver for Māori, Waititi responded "The question is, is he open to our approach?
"They must be Māori-led approaches and initiatives. This is about politicians now doing the right thing and listening to what our people are saying on the street."
Waititi welcomed Luxon to attend the protests, "Get on this bridge, come and have a listen to the people, come and be part of something really positive".
Waititi also emphasised that it was not just tangata Whenua on the bridge, but also tangata Tiriti, speaking to the variety of people who had shown up.
"All over the country we're mobilising, we're activating," he said.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader also said the protests were a chance to bridge many of the "gaps that were created during the campaign".
While he was full of positivity on Tuesday morning, Waititi has recently come under criticism from across the political spectrum for some of the language he has been using like genocide and state-sponsored terrorism, with Te Pāti Māori even sharing a post that talked about the new government being white supremacists.
"Those are the words that describe how Māori have been treated over the last 183 years, I'm not going to deny those words and our people using those particular words. That's exactly what it was, state-sponsored terrorism, like I've said in many interviews," he reiterated.
Waititi then referenced the Parihaka attacks and land confiscations to support these claims.
"But today is not about dwelling on what has happened," he said. "This is about looking at what a future looks like for us.
"What the future looks like is the solidarity that we are seeing here today."
Waititi also responded to NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones' statement his party has Pākehā supporters and doesn't represent the voice of all Māori.
Waititi said, "100 percent of my voters were Māori in the electorate," referring to his electorate on the Māori roll, Waiariki.
"Those who gave their party vote to us believe in a by Māori for all type approach, so I'm not too worried about Shane, he would have many less Māori voting for him (sic)."
Waititi went on to say, "At the end of the day, it's not about that. We're here representing our people and we will continue to do that".
Asked whether he would swear allegiance to the King today, Waititi said "Keep your cameras rolling, because it's going to be an interesting morning".
Watch the full interview for more.
