'Save our democracy.”

That was the call from about 40 people who gathered outside Rotorua Lakes Council this Tuesday morning to protest against its pursuit of 'iwi co-governance".

However, a Māori academic who observed the demonstration said, in her view, it was motivated by 'ignorance and fear”.

Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi says it's 'disappointing” people are 'threatened” by Māori wards.

Demonstration organiser Jo-Anne La Grouw told Local Democracy Reporting the council's adopted governance model, of one Māori ward seat, one general ward seat, and eight at-large seats, is not democratic.

She says a blog post prompted her into action.

'I thought, everybody's against it but nobody's doing anything.”

She believes many want to remove Māori wards, which the council adopted in May followed by the 'interim” model in November.

It's also pursuing a local bill through Parliament to allow its preferred model of three Māori ward seats, three general ward seats and four at-large seats.

The model is currently unlawful under the Local Electoral Act.

In a statement provided by La Grouw, the group says the council is 'riding roughshod over its ratepayers in an effort to achieve its objective of iwi co-governance".

'Co-governance is basically the antithesis of democracy … the minority ruling over the majority.”

It says the council is 'blatantly ignoring the overwhelming message from ratepayers that they do not accept race-based decisions”.

The group's petition opposing the interim model had attracted 183 signatures by Tuesday morning.

Rotorua district councillors Reynold Macpherson, who spoke in the video above, and Peter Bentley attended the demonstration.

Macpherson opposes the interim model, saying as the district's Māori roll is smaller than the general roll, it give Māori ward voters 2.6 times the voting power of those not on the Māori roll.

"We have a right to a thing called equal suffrage. That means we all have the same voting power.”

He wants three Māori ward seats and seven general.

The demonstration began at the council's Haupapa St entrance and moved to Fenton St. Motorists tooted as they passed demonstrators holding signs including 'one vote, one person = democracy” and 'protect our democracy”.

Other watchers shouted 'land back”, which refers to the return of land stolen from Māori by the Crown.

Demonstrator Jocelyn Greene says she believes the council is 'trying to put people into positions they're not elected to.”

She says she couldn't expand on how that would happen.

Local elections are scheduled for October. The council has not proposed appointing candidates to seats.

A demonstrator who gave her name as Sharyn, says she has lived in Rotorua for 70 years and has always seen a 'fair representation of people” on the council.

'They want to have extra seats for Māori.”

Ngahuia Te Awekotuku. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Academic Ngahuia Te Awekotuku MNZM (Te Arawa, Tūhoe, Waikato) observed the demonstration from nearby.

She says, in her opinion, it's driven by 'ignorance and fear”.

Te Awekotuku believed many in the protest did not understand the history, generosity, vision or gift of local hapu Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Uenukukōpako and Ngāti Rangiwewehi.

'We are the indigenous people. We didn't sign the Treaty of Waitangi but we did sign the [Rotorua / Fenton] Township Agreement and that agreement has hardly been honoured.

In her view: 'When we have the opportunity now with the new ward system … to actually bring us to the table … it threatens people like that.”

In a statement, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick says she respects people's democratic right to peaceful protest.

She's awaiting the outcome of Local Government Commission hearings on the representation model and the local bill process.

She encourages people to submit on the bill if the select committee called for submissions.

Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman Te Taru White. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman Te Taru White says Te Arawa is likely the largest ratepayer in the Rotorua district. That doesn't give Te Arawa any special rights but means it has a stake in democratic participation.

'We want to work together.

'The reality is, our people have been left behind.”

He says Māori social deprivation needs to be addressed by having Māori 'at the table”.

'When people talk about democracy, well, the council voted [for the interim model]. That's democracy.”

Rotorua-based Labour list MP Tāmati Coffey. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Rotorua-based Labour list MP Tāmati Coffey, the local bill's sponsor, says it's the 'result of democracy” in the majority council vote.

'This city was gifted by local Māori with the intent of partnership, which was never truly honoured.”

Waiariki MP and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says in his opinion it's 'disappointing that people feel threatened by the establishment of Māori wards”.

'We all know democracy is the tyranny of the majority, which fundamentally excludes the voices of indigenous peoples all over the world and in our case tangata whenua.

'There is no such thing as race-based decisions in this country when referring to Māori kaupapa and issues, it's rights-based, based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Waititi says Rotorua Lakes Council has 'great representation of Māori” in its current council but that could change.

'I encourage [the demonstrators] to speak to their children and mokopuna and ask for their views, I can guarantee there is an inter-generational mind shift, a change of perspective.”

'We are seeing the rise of tangata tiriti - people committed to a treaty-focused Aotearoa - and I am here for it.”

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air