Hawaiʻi is joining over 2,000 other “No Dictators” or “No Kings” protests scheduled around the country on Saturday.
American Civil Liberties Union Hawaiʻi and Indivisible Hawaiʻi are mobilizing thousands of people to protest President Donald Trump and his administration.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda of Hawaiʻi supported the organizations’ efforts outside of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on Thursday.
”What we have here, my friends, are want-to-be kings who are going around talking and acting like a bunch of dictators,” Tokuda said. “They want to rule, not serve. They want obedience, not what's best for our people. They want chaos, not compromise.”
“We're here to tell you: not here, not in Hawaiʻi, not in the United States. You know, they call Hawaiʻi an anchor state, and I can't think of a better description in this moment in history that we find ourselves. Because when democracy drifts and it's been drifting, my friends, Hawaiʻi holds fast," Tokuda said.
In June, a similar protest brought out about 7,000 people statewide and close to 5,000 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in Honolulu.
Organizers hope to increase that number to 10,000 people statewide.
ACLU Hawaiʻi Director Salmah Rizvi said that showing up to a protest is the first step, but that people should also pay attention to state legislation.
The protest will be outside the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as on neighbor islands at various times.
