Prime Minister John Key has said being manhandled by protesters on his way to Te Tii Marae today will not deter him from future visits to Waitangi.
Mr Key was manhandled by two protesters moments before he was due to be welcomed on to the marae this morning.
One protester rushed towards Key yelling 'the movement is still alive'. The protesters were dragged away by bystanders.
Inspector Chris Scahill said police had taken two men in for questioning.
Further information would be released later this afternoon, he said.
Mr Key appeared unruffled by the event and moments later was welcomed on to the marae.
"A couple of young guys tried to thump me, if they think that will stop me coming back next year, or the year after that or the year after that they had better think again.
"I may be a lot of things but I’m not a quitter," he said.
Speaking to Stuff.co.nz, the protester, while under police guard, said: "The Maori party ain't going to help us, without protest we wouldn't have reo, without protest we wouldn't have kura kaupapa."
Key later told Nga Puhi they should be proud of the way they had held this year's Waitangi celebrations.
He said they should not be deterred "by a couple of young glory seekers who are out of step with the rest of New Zealand".
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4838870a11.html