Protests in Hilo (May 17th next) & elsewhere in Hawaii - June 14th in the works

[kalianna]

I was just offering support to our Hawaii reps, asking them to continue to fight unconstitutional deportations and DOGE intrusions into IRS and SSA, and to keep environmental laws in place. Same in reverse for out of state reps supporting this nonsense.

[Punatang]

Our local news outlets still haven't reported on the 4/19/2025 protest by Ross Dress for Less between 10AM - 12 PM.  Why is that?

Thanks again for the video link Wahine. I slowed it down and counted 247 people on hand at that moment in time.  Seems like our elderly Caucasian community really provided the bulk of the resistance.  It appears that they were really doing some extreme social distancing this time compared to photos from last time. Were they worried about measles?

Multiple Punaweb Members stated here that the 4/19/2025 gathering was smaller than the last get together on 4/5/2025 but local citizen journalist Damon Tucker says it was the biggest one ever at that location so I'm not sure who's right and who's casting doubt on whom, or why they would do that?  

If the crowd is shrinking then how does one quantify that the movement is growing?  

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/

https://bigislandnow.com/

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16RANR75D4/  (the video from Damon Tucker on Facebook)

[ironyak]

kalianna - I was just offering support to our Hawaii reps, asking them to continue to fight unconstitutional deportations and DOGE intrusions into IRS and SSA, and to keep environmental laws in place.  Same in reverse for out of state reps supporting this nonsense.

Makes sense. Several people have mentioned to me that https://5calls.org/ has been useful for them with such works - helps to find out who to contact and how, based on location, and provides some background and message outlines for various topics of concern. Sounds like you've got this covered but figured it's worth a mention for others looking for ways to get started.

Punatang - I'm not sure who's right
All these things can be true simultaneously. Requisite - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

[Punatang]

Apparently the revolution won't even be written about.  

I'm reminded of the well known philosophers question:

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

[ironyak]

Plenty being written, just not where you read apparently. Here's some free text for you though - time to go check on those trees in the forest.

You will not be able to stay home, brother. You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
NBC will not be able to predict the winner. There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news.

[Punatang]

If anyone has links to the tomes apparently being written about the 4/19/2025 gathering at Ross Dress For Less from 10AM - 2PM, I and I assume others would appreciate you sharing the tales of momentum.

[ironyak]

Sorry brah, you gotta show up, make some friends, exchange some deets - then you'll have plenty to read! In the meantime, I and I will see you through.

[Punatang]

Surely someone can share the literature that has been claimed to be written about the spark of revolution on 4/19/2025 at Ross Dress For Less?

[kalianna]

The smaller crowd on Sat. follows a similar pattern to previous protest campaigns, ie the Womenʻs marches in 2017, Iraq wars 1 and 2, etc. People begin to question the usefulness of what theyʻre doing and only have so much time to devote to something that they feel may not be effective, even if it is. As a former, decades-long activist, thatʻs why Iʻll sleep in and write letters. Ironyak, thanks for the link to Scalls, and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised still gives me goosebumps.

As a side note, having spent every May Day in the streets, I was astounded to find out that here, May Day is Lei Day. Wow, I wasnʻt prepared for that one. My first aloha awakening. What a concept. No tear gas or anything!

[ironyak]

For those interested in May Day, The Defend and Respect Hawai'i's Workers (DRHW) Coalition is hosting an event in Honolulu at the Capitol. Please share info if anyone hears of more local events being planned.

https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/event/777779/
May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a global holiday honoring workers and the labor movement. It began in 1890 to commemorate the struggle for the 8-hour workday, rooted in the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago—where police attacked striking workers, and labor leaders were unjustly executed. May Day became a symbol of resistance and worker solidarity worldwide.

In the U.S., Labor Day was moved to September and May 1 rebranded as Lei Day in Hawaiʻi and Law Day on the continent—efforts to erase its radical roots. But here in Hawaiʻi, the history of labor resistance runs deep. After the illegal overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, plantation owners imposed brutal working conditions—12-hour days, 6-day weeks, poverty wages, and punishment for leaving the job.

That legacy continues today. Over 170,000 workers in Hawaiʻi have no paid sick leave. Tipped workers are still paid below minimum wage. This year, nearly every progressive labor bill was killed by the legislature. And nationally, the federal government has escalated attacks on unions and workers’ rights.

The Defend and Respect Hawai'i's Workers (DRHW) Coalition is a 48 member coalition led by the Hawaiʻi Workers Center (HWC), consisting of labor unions, youth groups, community organizations, and faith-based initiatives, committed to advancing workers' rights in Hawaiʻi. On May 1, 2025, we’re gathering at the Capitol to say enough. We stand in solidarity with workers—past and present—who have fought for dignity, justice, and a better future. Join us.