Tens of thousands of marchers crowded the streets in New Zealand's capital Wellington on Tuesday

The throng of people, flags aloft, had the air of a festival or a parade rather than a protest. For many, the turnout reflected growing solidarity on Indigenous rights from non-Māori.

The bill that marchers were opposing is unpopular and unlikely to become law. But opposition to it has exploded, which marchers said indicated rising knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi's promises to Māori among New Zealanders — and a small but vocal backlash from those who are angered by the attempts of courts and lawmakers to keep them.