The group behind a large protest organized at the state Capitol a couple of months ago is at it again. They first protested against executive orders issued by President Donald Trump and actions taken by billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
Lisa Gibson, the organizer of the group Indivisible Hawaiʻi, spoke to the Conversation about the group's efforts to take to the streets again across the state on April 5.
The demonstration will be the first since police were called to a protest at the Tesla showroom in Waikīkī this past weekend. A counterprotester was arrested for assaulting one of the participants. Gibson said she wants to avoid any violence.
“We have our safety protocols. We have been in communication with the police, but we need to let Trump and Musk know that they cannot intimidate us into submission,” Gibson said. “At this point, because of the courts and Congress and the House, we are the guardrail, the public, you and me, voters, are the guardrails to protecting Hawaiʻi and our democracy."
Indivisible Hawaiʻi has 12 chapters across the state. Gibson said there will be protests on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, and Oʻahu.
"The theme of the message to Trump and Musk is hands off our children, our kūpuna, our veterans, our health care, our environment, our cultural values," she told HPR. "We are in a constitutional crisis, and we are vulnerable."
She said anyone who has been affected by federal cuts is invited to stop by their table to share their story.
This interview aired on The Conversation on April 1, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
