HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Thousands of people across Hawaii joined a nationwide protest Saturday against the policies of President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
“I’m 82 years old and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Bev Nagy, who was among the huge crowd of protesters, nearly all of them with signs, on the sidewalks on both sides of South Beretania Street fronting the state capitol.
More protesters also lined Punchbowl Street. They were all gathering around the message of “Hands Off.”
“I want to say to all the Trump supporters and everybody like that, keep your hands off my constitution,” said Honolulu protester Walter Ziegler.
“We are here, literally as you can see, thousands of individuals to tell this Musk/Trump Administration to get their grubby hands off everything we hold dear, whether it’s the Social Security people worked hard for, whether it’s the Medicaid, the health care they need to literally survive, SNAP –the food money to put food on their children’s tables,” said U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda.
The demonstrations weren’t limited to Honolulu. Hundreds of sign wavers also gathered in Kahului. Hundreds more lined a long stretch of Mamalahoa Highway in Hilo. There were also protests planned in Lihue and Kailua-Kona.
There were even protests in places not known for those kinds of gatherings, like Lanai City, and Waimea on Hawaii Island, where organizers said about 800 people took part.
“It tells me that people are angry. It tells me that people are willing to fight back,” said Doris Segal Matsunaga of the North Hawaii Action Network, which helped organize the Waimea protest. “They’re not being afraid.”
Protesters aimed most of their anger at the president, but also went after Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
“I want Trump gone. I want Elon Musk gone,” said Nagy. “I’m appalled at what’s going on. It needs to stop.”
“We’re trying to protect Hawaii from the cuts to children, the cuts to services to teachers, to our air traffic controllers, to our national parks,” said Matsunaga.
“I have friends who work for NOAA and the federal government who’ve been recently let go. And I’m here for them today,” said Waimea resident Brittney Spivak.
But there were several other issues uniting the protesters.
“I’m also here for my friends from the LGTBQ community, and for my family who’s also part of that community,” Spivak added.
“I have many dear gay friends,” said Honolulu protester Billy Jean. “I marched for them to have the right to get married, so I have concerns about whether or not their marriage will be recognized. (Also) the rights of women.”
“My biggest concern is fascism. But that is coupled with economics. They want to take away a bunch of economic rights that we have, such as Social Security,” said Tom Penny in Waimea.
Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
In Honolulu, there were a few heated exchanges with passing motorists, but for the most part, the gatherings were loud but peaceful.
Many commented that the protests were the largest they had ever seen in their communities. And there were hints that the demonstrations of mass resistance may be just beginning.
“I think this protest is very important – all protests are important — because it lets other people know they’re not alone,” said Waikoloa resident Sebastian Schulerr. “They’re not the only person who’s horrified at what’s happening.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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