Thousands of peaceful, anti-Trump protesters in Honolulu joined scores across the nation in the “No Kings” rally, dubbed “No Dictators” in Hawaii in deference to Hawaii’s former monarchy.
People of all colors and ages from all parts of the island and all walks of life came holding signs — some handmade, some professionally printed — with messages ranging from the poignant to the humorous and raunchy, and chanting to the rhythm of beating drums and a didgeridoo.
They marched and stood in front of and on the lawn of the Hawaii state Capitol, lining both sides of Beretania Street 10-15 people thick from Bishop Street to well past the Punchbowl Street intersection, as drivers passing by honked in support.
“We just have to keep working to get him out,” said Martha Ross, 68, a retired social worker and community advocate from Kailua.
Kris Lindquist, 71, of Makaha, noted: “Good turnout today. Better than the last one in June. It was so heartwarming to see everyone coming out. Even though we’re a small island, we still have our strong beliefs.”
Veteran activist Janice Monson, 76, of Mililani noted: “Lots more young people this time. … It seems like the colleges must have woken up.”
Salmah Rizvi, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, said, “This is one of the largest demonstrations we’ve seen at the state Capitol, despite numerous competing events. It shows that our residents want to prioritize standing up for our democracy. The peaceful, loving, energetic, joyful and humorous protests” go against “the president’s narrative that these protests are leading to violence.”
ACLU Hawaii spokesman Sergio Alcubilla estimated 10,000 were in attendance on Oahu, with organizers reporting a statewide total of 22,000.
Leilani Kaai, a 32-year-old mother of three, and her 7-year-old son, said: “We’re just trying to stand up for our rights and resist Trump … trying to be a dictator, oppressing his political opponents, illegally detaining immigrants, trying to create fear for anybody who stands up to his power or object to his will.”
Julie Licina, 68, of Nuuanu, said she was fed up with “everything that has been happening since (Trump’s) inauguration. It’s one chaotic day after another. We’ve got to do something, and we have to stand up for our neighbors.”
A handful of pro-Trump supporters appeared on the mauka side of Beretania, overshadowed by the greater number of “No Dictators” protesters also on that side of the street. A few drove past the Capitol with pro-Trump signs, and some infiltrated amongst the protesters, challenging their views one-on-one.
Many protesters had specific actions and policies of the Trump administration they were against.
Jose Santos, 19, of Kapahulu, held a “No Mas (No More)” sign. The Puerto Rican native, holding an American flag, said he was there for his family because of the actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. “One human alone is not very strong, but together we can make a difference.”
University of Hawaii marine biology major Maegan Theriault, 20, said she was standing up for her mom, an immigrant from Laos, saying the issue of immigration “sits heavy with her and sits heavy with me. She can’t be here (she’s in Washington state).”
Fellow UH marine biology student Ash Gjestvang, 20, said she opposed Trump’s failure to protect the environment and took issue with his policy to allow logging on about 58 million acres of federal forest and wildlands, rescinding a landmark conservation rule. She said his followers support deforestation, saying, “Cut the forest down.”
Theriault opposed Trump’s wanting to open up to commercial fishing in the largest marine sanctuary — home to many endangered species, referring to his April 17 executive order in parts of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, but was halted by a federal judge’s order in August.
Jamie Silva, 45, a Kakaako resident, artist and printmaker, held a sign she printed, which had the word “Immigration” crossed out and replaced with “White Nationalism is a Security Threat.”
Maile Burke, 53, held a sign, “Make Lying Wrong Again.”
She wonders whether Trump believes the lies he tells, “but if he is, that’s the really scary part, and those around him are agreeing with him.
“And people are slowly getting sucked in, and that’s the thing that’s really sad. Reliable sources of information aren’t so reliable anymore. Journalists are not being allowed in. We had that whole mess at the Pentagon. I’ve seen revisionist propaganda happening in real time.”
The Hawaii Republican Party issued a news release rejecting the comparison of the Trump-Vance administration to a dictatorial regime.
“Today’s protest is instead an attempt by progressive activists to re-litigate the outcome of the free and fair 2024 presidential election,” it said. “The American people spoke clearly, and their decision must be respected.”
It said the “exaggerated claims of ‘dictatorship’ are not harmless rhetoric; they are contributing to the ongoing federal government shutdown in Washington, D.C., which is already harming Hawaii’s residents.”
Many of the anti-Trump protesters were federal government workers and those whose jobs depend on federal funding, and feared retaliation and declined to be named.
While the Hawaii Republican Party accused Democratic leaders of using residents as political pawns, one federal worker said, “I feel like federal employees are being like political pawns in this game, and this is our livelihood and our jobs are at stake. That’s not being taken into consideration by the Trump administration, who are more concerned with trying to forward their own political beliefs for their own political gain.”
She said she “felt energized by all the people who do care about where they want democracy to be, and we are the people who vote and those representatives are accountable to us, and we have the power.”
Alex Means, a University of Hawaii professor of education, said, “I’m not afraid to protest because it is a legally protected right.”
“I’ve had colleagues who have been gone after by campus watch in Texas,” he said. At UH, international students are concerned due to the high-profile kidnappings of foreign students, and those who have protested on campus being threatened with deportation in other states. He said it is unsettling, and they feel dread and fear.
