Victory for free speech leafleting in Protest RIMPAC 2016
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/
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.orgPress 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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