Hone Harawira
Hone Harawira is a Maori activist and political candidate.
Harawira is a veteran protestor, having participated in a large number of demonstrations in favour of what he sees as Maori rights. His first major role came in the protests surrounding the 1981 Springbok Tour, and he has since become highly involved in the Maori protest movement. Often, he worked alongside his mother, Titewhai Harawira, another well-known activist.
Harawira has a reputation for aggressive behaviour and violence, and has been in court numerous times — in 1981, he was convicted of assault, although the sentence was suspended because Harawira had been provoked by racist comments. Harawira says that he is no longer as rash as he once was, telling a newspaper that he is "comfortable trying to work towards a positive future rather than simply knocking things down. When I was younger, knocking things down was pretty much everything." Accusations of bullying still occasionally surface, however.
Harawira has been selected as the new Maori Party's candidate for the Te Tai Tokerau seat in the 2005 elections. He has previously stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Mana Maori Movement.