Sunday, August 9:
More than 10,000 people came together for an “Aloha `Aina” march in
Waikiki. The unifying theme was a call
for protection of the `aina (land). Most
were Native Hawaiians who have been energized by courageous protests against
the construction of theThirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the summit of Mauna
Kea. Others came to speak out against
rapacious “development”, militarization of Pacific islands, destruction of
farmlands, Monsanto, and GMO’s.
As people assembled for the march, activists with the
Honolulu Ad Hoc Committee for #RiseUpOctober distributed hundreds of copies of
a leaflet headlined: “From Ferguson to Mauna Kea: The Whole Damn System is Guilty”, along with
the palm card calling for people to go to the march in NYC. As soon as the banner with photos of victims
of murder by police was displayed, children gathered round to read it to each
other and ask questions. “Look! She’s littler me! Why they kill her?” (pointing to the picture
of Aiyana Stanley-Jones, age 7).
Then the march took off down the main avenue through
Hawai`i’s busiest tourist district and activists holding the #RiseUpOctober and
World Can’t Wait’s “Humanity and the Planet Come First” banners jumped into the
mix. The distinctive blowing of the conch
alternated with Hawaiian chant and song.
At times the march stopped completely and marchers turned to tourists
lining the streets and performed hula. Tourists along the route eagerly grabbed Hawai`i's
#RiseUpOctober leaflet. Participants in
neighboring contingents saw that tourists were taking our leaflets and asked
for stacks to help distribute.
The just anger of the Hawaiian people against a racist
system that has overthrown their nation, stolen and desecrated their lands,
condemned many to lives of poverty and
incarceration, and now criminalizes them for speaking out, has erupted in the
form of the struggle to protect Mauna Kea.
But it isn’t limited to that. The
Hawaiian people are increasingly stepping to the frontlines of struggles
against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), against militarization, for the
preservation of agricultural lands, and against police brutality. The Hawaiian people are rising up.
Following are some photos from the march.
Following are some photos from the march.
