A Maori tribe has told anti-vax protesters in New Zealand to stop using the famous haka “immediately”.
The Ka Mate haka is hugely popular as it is performed by the All Blacks, national rugby team, before every match.
The Ngati Toa tribe, which has legal guardianship of the haka, issued a strong notice after protestors performed the war dance during protests last week. The notice comes as vaccination rates among the Maori people have been low.
“Ngati Toa condemns the use of the Ka Mate haka to push and promote anti-Covid-19 vaccination messages,” said its chief executive officer Helmut Modlik in a statement.
“Many of our tupuna [ancestors] lost their lives in previous pandemics… we are absolutely clear that the COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection we have available to us, and we are committed to supporting our whānau [family] to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Last week about 2 000 protesters gathered outside parliament and across the country, waving large Trump flags and carrying anti-vax signs.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian
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