New Zealand parliament brought to a halt by haka

New Zealands parliament was temporarily halted by Māori politicians performing a haka.

The MP's were angry over a controversial bill and performed the haka as a protest.

The proposed law would reinterpret 184 year treaty with the Māori people.

New Zealand's youngest MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke began the traditional ceremonial chant also ripped up a copy of the bill.

Parliament was briefly suspended as people in the gallery joined in, and the shouting drowned out others in the room.

What is a Haka?

The haka is often performed by New Zealand sports teams

A haka is a ceremonial dance that is a part of Māori culture.

The haka is a group performance that involves chanting, stomping and eye-rolling.

The haka is performed for a variety of reasons that include celebrations, and welcoming guests.

They are also often performed by New Zealand sports teams before international matches.

The haka is used to display a tribe's pride, strength and unity.

Roughly 18% of New Zealand's population consider themselves to be Māori, according to the most recent data, which also shows that many remain disadvantaged compared with the general population when it comes to factors such as health and education.

Why did the haka protest happen?

Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand

The new law would change New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi and the way in which it's interpreted.

The Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement between the British who colonised New Zealand, and many, but not all, Māori tribes, which was signed in 1840.

While the treaty itself is not a law, its principles are adopted in other laws and shapes how the New Zealand government works with the Māori people

Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ripped up a copy of the bill as she stood to lead the haka in parliament. Members from her party, Te Pāti Māori, other parties and some in the public gallery joined in.

Hundreds of people have set off on a nine-day hikoi - a peaceful march - in protest over the bill. They are expected to arrive in the capital, Wellington, on Tuesday for a big demonstration.