Victory for free speech leafleting in Protest RIMPAC 2016

Aloha kakou,

Today, Friday, July 15, 2016, Ron Fujiyoshi and myself met with Hilo Police Captain Richard Sherlock who was assigned by the Chief of Police to discuss what we felt was police overstepping the law and citizen free speech rights.   On Wed. July 13, 2016 Hilo police officer Gouveia  threatened Carl David with arrest for offering “Protest RIMPAC 2016 Stop Bombing Hawaii” informational leaflets to stopped cars in the makai bound left turn lane on Kanoelehua at the Hilo airport intersection traffic light.  Today, Captain Sherlock said he has reviewed the law — Hawaii Revised Statue 291C-77 and said Carl David was exercising his free speech right.  Captain Sherlock said he will be advising all Hawaii County police officers to respect free-speech rights.  The leafleting issue was part of a Stop RIMPAC 2016 protest at the Hilo Airport/Hwy 11 intersection held, July 6 and 13th.  There will be 2 more sign holding  protests at the Hilo Airport intersection –Wed. July 20 and July 27th from 3-5PM.  Please pass the word to ohana and friends and join if possible.  Mahalo.  The original press release on the leafleting incident is below.  Also check out the free-speech case in the following link
Link: https://acluhi.org/2015/09/14/settlement-in-hawaii-county-free-speech-case/

Press Release: July 13, 2016  at 9PM

Press Release: Peaceful Pohakuloa protector threatened with arrest in Hilo for leafleting

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org

further contact: Jim Albertini 966-7622, email ja@malu-aina.org

“As part of a Protest RIMPAC 2016!  Stop Bombing Hawaii!  Aloha Not War! sign holding and informational leafleting today at the intersection of Hilo airport and Hwy 11 (Kekuanaoa & Kanoelehua) a participant in the gathering (Carl David) was threatened with arrest by a Hilo police officer” according to Jim Albertini, president of Malu ‘Aina, a sponsoring organization of the protest.  Albertini said  “a similar protest was held last Wed. July 6 without incident.  In fact, the same person, Carl David was leafleting then in the same place and gave out several hundred leaflets including leaflets to three Hilo police officers passing by in their cars and none of the officers raised any concerns.”  Albertini said “today, a Hilo police officer threatened Carl David with arrest on the charge of ‘distracting drivers’ for simply walking along the grassy 8-10 foot median strip and offering informational flyers about RIMPAC to cars stopped at the traffic light heading makai on Kanoelehua in the left turn lane for Kekuanaoa.  There were up to 15 cars at a time stopped at that light to turn left and Mr. David stayed on the grassy median and offered leaflets to any stopped vehicle that rolled down its window.”

Albertini said, “I find it significant that 3 police officers last week took leaflets in the same spot and from the same person that today a police officer threatened to arrest.  In this national climate where there is an effort to promote dialog and respect between the community and police in light of growing tension over police shootings and police officers being shot, one would hope that all police officers would have more respect for the right of peaceful protest and first amendment expression.”  Albertini noted that “4 people in Hawaii have been shot and killed by police so far in 2016 and three of those police killings occurred in Hilo, all not far from the scene of the threatened arrest for leafleting.”

Albertini said “our organization stands ready for respectful dialog with Hilo police.  We do our best to stand in Kapu Aloha with all people we encounter, police included.”

Albertini added that  “below is a copy of the leaflet that was handed out at the Hilo airport protest last week and today.  Below that is a leaflet I prepared for distribution this Friday, July 15, 2016 at Malu ‘Aina’s 773 consecutive weekly peace vigil at the downtown Hilo Post office.  Each week a new peace leaflet is prepared.  This week’s leaflet is on “Stop the violence! Live Aloha” written in response to police killings and police being killed.

Albertini noted that “another Protest RIMPAC 2016! Stop  Bombing Hawaii! Aloha Not War! will be held Thursday, July 14, 2016 from 3-5PM at the Kona airport highway intersection.:  Alberetini said “I hope there will be no threats of arrest there.”

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Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org

Protest RIMPAC 2016

Stop Bombing Hawaii! Aloha Not War!

      RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), the world’s largest U.S. led deadly war game is taking place in and around Hawai’i from June 30 to Aug. 4. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th in the series that began in 1971. It keeps expanding. It now involves twenty-six nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel waging war on the earth – air, land, and sea, people, plants and animals. As part of RIMPAC two military ships will be sunk by rockets, missiles, torpedoes and bombs this year. That will make 54 military ships sunk in waters around Hawaii since 1999. The U.S. military is the world’s greatest polluter. It is the singles largest consumer of oil and the largest emitter of CO2. It has dumped barge loads of weapons, including chemical weapons in Hawaii’s waters and reefs; thousands of barrels of nuclear waste dumped south of Pearl Harbor. Killed and injured thousands of marine mammals with it’s explosives and high powered sonar and has contaminated Hawaiian lands with chemical, biological and radiation weapons training.

It has been confirmed that RIMPAC air and ground live-fire will be taking place at the 133,000-acre military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) located in the center of Hawai’i Island. Pohakuloa is contaminated with military Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation and a wide range of military toxins. Continued bombing risks spreading the contamination downwind, endangering the lives of troops, residents and visitors alike . DU is particularly dangerous when small DU oxide particles are inhaled which can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage.

The Honolulu’s Chamber of Commerce says Hawaii stands to make $52 million from the RIMPAC 2016 war games. For them it’s all about tourist dollars. They never look at the true costs. It is a disgrace that Hawaii is used as a training ground for killing and destruction which the U.S. then spreads all over the world. The U.S. is currently waging wars in at least six countries, and provoking and risking new wars with other countries, including possible nuclear war with Russia and China. It’s time to stop all these wars. The Hokule’a is sailing around the world with the important message Malama Honua. It’s time to wage justice and peace! Stand up for the land and the sea and all its creatures! Protest RIMPAC! Go to malu-aina.org for upcoming actions and organizing meetings.

Malama Honua – Care for the Earth!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
   4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
   5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (July 8, 2016 – 772nd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Stop the Violence!

     The U.S. needs to stop its endless wars abroad and the increasing militarization of police at home. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to speak to us about this important truth. Violence in response to violence only fuels a cycle of violence. Western terrorist wars for oil breed terrorist suicide bombers. The USA is the daddy of ISIS. The killing of African Americans by police give rise to retaliatory killings of police officers. Racism and racial profiling have no place in civilized societies. There is no end but destruction in a world of military killer drones, police killer robots, and assault weapons everywhere.

If we want peace in our communities and in our world, we need to demilitarize our communities and world. We need to use peaceful means to build more just communities and nations. The gap between rich and poor needs to be narrowed, not widened. And the basic necessities of life need to be available to all. In our efforts to live this dream, let us be guided not by fear, hate, and violence, but by the courage of common ground – love, respect, community, and togetherness.

The amount of money currently spent on militarism and wars could provide food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and employment for all in helping to heal our broken world.

Live Aloha!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
   4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
   5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (July 15, 2016 – 773rd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

OpEdNews Op Eds 7/11/2016 at 11:49:55

Next Step, Local Police Use Aerial Assassin Drones

By Ann Wright  

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Next-Step-Local-Police-Us-by-Ann-Wright-Assassination_Drone_Police_Police-Brutality-160711-110.html

Stop the Violence!

     The U.S. needs to stop its endless wars abroad and the increasing militarization of police at home. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to speak to us about this important truth. Violence in response to violence only fuels a cycle of violence. Western terrorist wars for oil breed terrorist suicide bombers. The USA is the daddy of ISIS. The killing of African Americans by police give rise to retaliatory killings of police officers. Racism and racial profiling have no place in civilized societies. There is no end but destruction in a world of military killer drones, police killer robots, and assault weapons everywhere.

If we want peace in our communities and in our world, we need to demilitarize our communities and world. We need to use peaceful means to build more just communities and nations. The gap between rich and poor needs to be narrowed, not widened. And the basic necessities of life need to be available to all. In our efforts to live this dream, let us be guided not by fear, hate, and violence, but by the courage of common ground – love, respect, community, and togetherness.

     The amount of money currently spent on militarism and wars could provide food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and employment for all in helping to heal our broken world.

Live Aloha!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
   4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
   5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (July 15, 2016 – 773rd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office