Brief report on Hawaii TPP protest
Here is a brief report of the TPP protest: (photos to follow)
Hawaii had a a very spirited protest against TPP on Sat. March 14th from 11-1PM at the Waikoloa Marriott Beach Hotel. More than 60 people gathered on the highway fronting the hotel property and held signs and banners against TPP for the first hour and leaflets were handed out to passing vehicles at the traffic light. (Leaflet below). People came from all over the island and included Native Hawaiian leaders, ILWU Union members, peace, environmental and anti-GMO activists, etc. Signs and banners included: “Secret meetings taking place here.” “NO TPP –Backroom deal -License to Steal,” TPP Kills Jobs, Kills Nature, Kills Home Rule.” “Stop TPP Fast Track –People Before Profits.” There were even signs in Japanese against TPP. The response from those passing by in vehicles and on foot was very positive.
At 12 noon, about 30 people moved from the highway to the King’s trail area near the King and Queen marketplace areas of the resort complex to continue the protest and hand out leaflets to TPP delegates passing by on the sidewalks to and from the nearby restaurants and shops. The King’s trail is a public trail where free speech rights must be recognized within resort private property. Some delegates passing by wanted their pictures taken next to a protest vehicle truck with magnetic signs that read “No TPP: People Power Not 1% Rule.” and “No TPP –No License to Steal.” Hotel security were upset that the truck was parked in the parking area clearly marked “King’s Trail Parking Area.” They wanted the truck removed but protesters stood firm.
At the King’s trail, several county police eventually arrived and I heard one of the officers falsely assert that the trail was private hotel property. But the protests continued.
Another dozen protesters went to walk the public shoreline area carrying protest signs and offer informational leaflets to people on the beach fronting the resort. Hotel security again tried to dispute people’s first amendment rights on the shoreline and the legal definition of the shoreline which is “the high wash of the high seasonal surf,” not the low or high tide mark. When protesters turned their cameras on to record the encounter, the security supervisor refused to say another word and left the area.
No arrests were made throughout the day. The protest was peaceful. Still, people’s rights of peaceful protest need to be clarified and respected by hotel security and police on Hawaii’s public trails and shorelines. And of course corporations, and things like TPP, trampling on peoples rights and destroying the earth need to be stopped by united global citizen action.
Jim Albertini for Malu ‘Aina
ALOHA ‘AINA “DAY OF ACTION”
AGAINST TPP & FOR
HOME RULE, SOVEREIGNTY,
DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY
Secret international TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnershp) trade talks are taking place March 9-15, 2015 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and Waikoloa Hilton Hotels. TPP has been described as NAFTA (North American Free-Trade Agreement) on steroids. It is a totally non-transparent meeting of the world’s “1%” to negotiate a mega-treaty that would give ultimate power to corporations like Wal-Mart, Monsanto, Goldman-Sachs, Philip Morris, Apple, G.E., GM, etc.
This is big! We need to put the emergency brake on Fast Tracking of TPP. It will grant corporate domination of county, state, and national sovereignty, threaten native peoples’ land, sacred sites and traditional customs and practices, jobs, labor rights, and the environment. TPP will increase the gap between rich and poor, and result in further militarization in the Pacific. All to benefit corporate profits and the super rich 1%.
- TPP will offshore millions of good-paying jobs to low-wage nations, undercutting working conditions globally and increasing unemployment.
- TPP will expand pharmaceutical monopoly protections and institute longer patents that will decrease access to affordable medications
- TPP will potentially limit GMO Home Rule laws, GMO labeling, and allow the import of goods that do not meet US safe standards.
- TPP will encourage the privatization of lands and natural resources in areas where indigenous people live.
- TPP will roll back Wall Street regulations, prohibit bans on risky financial services, and establish international corporate tribunals to collect damages from governments that hurt corporate profits.
Countries involved: U.S. Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Hawai’i Loa Ku Like Kakou! All Hawai’i & the Pacific Stand Together!
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 http://www.malu-aina.org
