Dr. Zaius

Title
Native Hawaiians Occupy Palace Grounds In Downtown Honolulu

Link
Native Hawaiians Occupy Palace Grounds In Downtown Honolulu, Native Hawaiian Protesters Lock Gates, Take Over Palace In Downtown Honolulu - CBS News
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Excerpt

(AP) A Native Hawaiian group that advocates sovereignty locked the gates of a historic palace Wednesday in downtown Honolulu, saying it would carry out the business of what it considers the legitimate government of the islands.

State deputy sheriffs weren't allowing anyone else to enter Iolani Palace grounds as unarmed security guards from the Hawaiian Kingdom Government group blocked all gates to the palace, which is adjacent to the state Capitol.

Arrest warrants were being prepared and would probably be served on the 60 or so protesters later in the day, officials said. Protest leaders said they were prepared to be arrested and would go peacefully.

Protest leader Mahealani Kahau said the group doesn't recognize Hawaii as a U.S. state. Supporters planned to keep the protest peaceful and if evicted would return later, she said.

The group is one of several Hawaiian sovereignty organizations in the islands, which became the 50th U.S. state in 1959.

The palace, the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs, is a major downtown tourist attraction.

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Comment:

Aloooooooha! LOL!

The Iolani Palace is best remembered as the Police Headquarters in the TV show "Hawaii 5-0" (it never really was the police department. It was however the state Capital for years!)

The Palace was built by the Royal Family before the turn of the Twentieth Century. It's last ruler was Queen Liliuokalani who was dethrowned illegaly by a white miltia lead by the first Governor of that "State", Stanford Dole. The reason for the take over.....to keep native islanders from having more rights than white bussinessmen from a new constitution that was being ratifyed by the Queen.

Yes, the only reason we have Hawaii is because of Racism.

Ouroboros

The only reason we exist as a nation is imperialism. Racism is merely a means to that end.

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BleedingPinky

Well, I never thought about it, but I guess they do have a right for what they are asking for. 1959, jeeze, that´s yesterday so to speak in history books. If the Europeans pulled out of their african colonies around the same period of time after in some cases even for longer periods of time, maybe it´s time for the US to act the same way.

TrueBlueAmerican

How committed can you be to your cause if you just show up to a building to get arrested later.

A clear sign that this will blow over literally overnight. Just like the Native American ‘uprising' of last year.

Ouroboros

It's called civil disobedience which requires balls. Obviously, you have no idea what either of those terms mean.

It's pretty easy to get what you want when you point a gun at someone's head. Isn't it?

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TrueBlueAmerican

Its bad PR and certainly didnt help their cause. A march would have been more effective. That said, independence for Hawaii is ridiculous. We did fight a war to maintain the union afterall. Some kind of autonomous regional government in certain communities for them could be a viable solution, but that concept has alot of critics and they would need more political clout to force the government to make concessions of that sort. Russia did it. Worked well in some place, wouldnt work in other i.e. Chechnya.

Ouroboros

They never asked to be in "our" union. They were forced, as were us natives on the mainland, to go along with their biding. There would have been no war if us natives were treated as sovereign nations—which is what we are—rather than colonial conquests.

There have been marches and protests. You are merely unaware of them due to your own ignorance. Hawaiian independence is not ridiculous, it's their right. And "we" had no right to take it from them.

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TrueBlueAmerican

Are you a member of the pro-Hawaiian Independence movement?


More marches and protests equals good PR strategy.




We did not have a right to take it but we do have a right to keep it.

Ouroboros

I am a Native American who supports Hawaiian independence.

Telling the U.S. to get the fuck out is their right; no matter how that is achieved.

Typical imperialist dogma.

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Dr. Zaius

This is not a new Cause. There is a King of Hawaii even if his claim to the thrown may be questionable. He does have a blood line that goes back to King Kamehameha, but the last ruler of the islands was Queen Liliuokalani and from what I understand many of her descendants are Pro American.....well not all and not exactly anti Hawaiian either, but they are not laying claim to the Palace and have given up much land. As one of those descendants I can understand why the current king believes himself to be the ruler of the islands.....he has stood up for independence and is there fighting for what he believes in.

I believe that Hawaii should be returned to the native peoples. While George Bush pushes for independence of other countries from Russia, he is a hypocrite because the United Nations and many other Nations have already acknowledged the sovereignty of the Nation of Hawaii while Bush refuses to do so!