On Wednesday evening, expect to see protesters gather in Waikīkī in front of the Tesla showroom at the International Market Place. They will be protesting against Elon Musk and his recent actions as part of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
The protest was announced at a Saturday rally organized by a newly formed group called Allies in Resistance. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was on hand as the crowd marched to the statue of Patsy T. Mink, the author of Title IX — the law best known for its role in gender equity in athletics and preventing sexual harassment on campuses.
"Government is for the people. It's by the people, of the people, and we continue to forget that is what government is all about, and all of you folks are part of what makes the state and what makes the nation good — good at its core and righteous at its core," Luke said to participants of Saturday's rally.
While President Donald Trump promised not to touch Social Security, his administration announced that 7,000 workers will lose their jobs. His administration has already started making deep cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which some fear is a prelude to privatizing the National Weather Service. Trump also plans to lay off thousands of workers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"EPA is a critical lifeline. If we just think back to the fires, who really made sure that we were safe, the air quality, the water monitoring, the debris removal, all of these different processes — making sure that the batteries that were burned were safely taken off island. That was the EPA right there on the frontline, working directly with our people. When you think about Red Hill and, again, monitoring and making sure that we're doing this well, accountably and with fidelity. That's the EPA," U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said Saturday.
Tokuda said that EPA staff cuts will hurt Hawaiʻi.
"We rely on their expertise to be able to provide us services in those times when we need it most, just like during wildfires, God forbid, fuel spills. What happens when we call for help and no one's there to pick up the phone? That's the situation we're going to find ourselves in sooner than later. And it's absolutely unacceptable that this can be allowed to continue," she said.
Regarding the cuts at NOAA, Tokuda shared that those employees save lives and that firing them will negatively impact many.
"Just because you don't believe in climate change doesn't mean you fire all the forecasters and fire all the individuals that are actually trying to help protect us from these extreme weather conditions, which, by the way, that's climate change," she said. "This is going to hurt people and communities, and that's why we have got to make sure that they are not allowed to continue. In fact, bring them back. Bring those workers back."
This interview aired on The Conversation on March 3, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
