HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Crowds of demonstrators throughout Hawaii joined millions across the country Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s policies.
The protests in Hawaii were called “No Dictators” instead of the nationwide “No Kings” movement out of respect for Hawaii’s alii, according to the group Indivisible Hawaii.
On Oahu, protestors gathered in front of the Hawaii State Capitol and in Kapolei.
View photos of the protest here:
Mari Matsuda, a retired law professor and lawyer, said, “For 40 years, I taught students about the Constitution and Bill of Rights and our obligation as citizens to support the rule of law, and everything that I taught them is now being violated by our own government.”
Demonstrator Kat Brady added, “We need to stand for each other. The thing that makes America work is diversity and yet there’s this hit against people who are not white and this is just outrageous, it’s historically wrong.”
The crowd at the state capitol was diverse, with demonstrators of all ages and backgrounds. Attendees were equally concerned over the current political climate.
“Every day there seems to be something in the news that just rattles me. It’s upsetting to see our democracy being attacked,” protester Laura Morihara shared.
Saturday’s No Dictators protest comes after the No Kings event that was held back in June, which also drew large crowds.
Organizers said the government shutdown and recent ICE raids pushed them to renew their calls for policy changes.
Attendee Joseph Pugh said, “It’s not a Democrat, Republican thing, it’s about people. It’s about protecting people.”
State Rep. Adrian Tam, D-Waikiki, said, “I came out here to take a stand with everyone else who are concerned about the direction of this country. It looks like we’re more afraid of diversity than actual fascism, and I think it’s incumbent on all of us as elected officials to stand by the people.”
Protests also took place in Kahului, Maui; and in Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Naalehu, and Waimea on Hawaii Island.
Tanya Dean, an organizer on Hawaii Island, added, “This is really about a day of unity, it’s to bring the country together and say no, we don’t want a bully in our administration taking away the rule of law, taking away our rights and safety.
The Hawaii Republican Party issued the following statement:
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