On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., East Hawaii residents will join a nationwide day of nonviolent protest along Kamehameha Avenue near Pauahi Street.
The event is part of the second No Kings Day of Action, expected to be one of the largest coordinated protests in U.S. history, according to organizers.
More than 2,500 protests are currently registered across the country, including four on Hawaii Island. Hilo’s showing is traditionally the largest.
Out of respect for Hawaii’s history of ali‘i (chiefs and kings), Indivisible Hawaii has branded the statewide protest “NO DICTATORS.”
Registrations for the Hilo event have already outpaced those for the June 14 protest, at which over 1,500 participants gathered and waved signs. Saturday will follow a similar format and is being organized by Indivisible Hawaii’s Hilo One, Volcano and Keaau chapters.
Other county and statewide events are listed at indivisiblehawaii.org.
“Indivisible is running a marathon strategy to train a million activists. This is one element,” Terry McDonald, Indivisible Hilo One event organizer, said in a news release. “Pushback works. That’s what we’re doing. Standing together with like-minded people creates solidarity and gives the message, ‘We’re not afraid.’
“It infuriates authoritarians and shows them they’re not in control,” McDonald continued. “When we stand up in large numbers, we give courage to others, especially our elected reps, to do what’s right — to say, ‘We like the Constitution; we’re going to keep it.’ It’s a win-win.”
In June, more than 5 million people across all 50 states joined the No Kings movement. It was the largest single-day protest yet against President Trump’s authoritarianism.
Saturday’s event builds on that momentum, and channels it into another peaceful day of resistance.
”We’re excited to have been endorsed by the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly,” Lahi Verschuur, media lead for the event, said in the news release. “They are joining other groups standing with No Kings protests across the country including the American Federation of Teachers and SEIU.”
Indivisible’s other partners include the ACLU, Common Defense, 50501, Human Rights Campaign, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, National Nurses United and Public Citizen. See the full list here: nokings.org/partners.
Indivisible Hilo One is a nonpartisan, pro-democracy organization dedicated to upholding the rule of law, ensuring free and fair elections, and respecting the dignity of all people.