Students’ rousing haka to welcome Jacinda Ardern
New Zealand students provided a spine-tingling display of solidarity when they welcomed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with a haka as she arrived to speak at their high-school.
Cashmere High School has several links to victims of the Christchurch mosque mass shooting, with two current student students classified as "missing" and a third hospitalised following the massacre.
The rousing Maori ceremonial dance from the students preceded a speech from Ms Ardern, who told students it was "okay to grieve" and urged them to ask for help if they needed it.
Students perform the Haka during arrival of New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. AP/AAP
The haka took place during a high school visit in Christchurch. AP/AAP
“These things, these images that people are seeing, they're really, really difficult to process,” she said.
She called on the students to help guard New Zealand against extremism, saying racism could not be allowed to exist in the country.
The New Zealand government is expected to unveil tightened gun laws in response to the shooting, which was carried out last Friday.
Jacinda Ardern speaks to students at the Cashmere High School in Christchurch. AAP
To date, 50 people have died as a result of what Ms Ardern has labelled a terror attack, with still others injured.
Australian man Brenton Tarrant has been charged over the shooting, which took place at two mosques in Christchurch.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush has defended his officers' response to the shooting, saying the alleged gunman was apprehended ahead of carrying out what police believe would have been a further attack.
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