HONOLULU — State sheriffs on Thursday removed protesters from the ruins of a Hawaii hotel where they have been squatting since last year in an attempt to block redevelopment of land where Hawaiian chiefs once lived and where Elvis Presley’s character got married in the movie “Blue Hawaii.”
HONOLULU — State sheriffs on Thursday removed protesters from the ruins of a Hawaii hotel where they have been squatting since last year in an attempt to block redevelopment of land where Hawaiian chiefs once lived and where Elvis Presley’s character got married in the movie “Blue Hawaii.”
The Hawaii Department of Public Safety said in a statement Thursday that state sheriffs arrested 23-year-old Mahealani Hanie-Grace for trespassing at Coco Palms on Kauai.
The protest began when two men arrived claiming they owned the property because they descend from King Kaumualii, the last ruler of Kauai. Dozens of other protesters have come and gone.
Police have cited protesters for trespassing. A judge last month issued an order to evict them.
The public safety department said 25 deputy sheriffs participated in the raid.
Coco Palms has been shut since 1992, when Hurricane Iniki heavily damaged the property.
Demolition began in 2016, with the goal of reopening in mid-2018. The clash has caused delays, so the developers hope to start construction soon after the protesters leave.
The renovated hotel will have 350 rooms, including 22 master suites and about 50 junior suites. Hyatt will manage the hotel once it’s reopened.
Hawaiian chiefs were born and lived on the property hundreds of years ago. Royalty favored the area for its plentiful water, which made it ideal for irrigating fields for the starchy vegetable taro, a staple crop.
Coco Palms opened as a resort in 1953. Eight years later, it served as the backdrop for scenes in a Hollywood romantic comedy featuring Presley.
There is nothing scared about private property as is the ugly face of racism. Further, the cowardly criminals made phony excuses for not taking on the big boys the Ige Administration dispatched to remove the criminals. The criminals then made threats that they were going after who ever (a court, a judge and Iges Administration) for upholding law and order as ordered by a judge to protect the public. It is called contempt of court, a very serious crime. For criminals to committ a multitude of crimes and threaten the public with out arrest and prosecution reflects the failure of lge to protect the public. Who knows, these criminals may follow through on their threats to Iges Administration and Ige himself.