UPDATE 12PM: the all clear was given a few hours later (streets also reopened) and protestors were allowed back to the Capitol (the original location which also had a stage setup for speakers; something that didn’t exist in the ones I had attended in early 2025) though the official event ran until 1pm (many also just remained along King Street). Given the number of people that re-congregated back at the State Capitol, having it spread out was probably a good thing. On the west side of the island, Kapolei had another protest event which included a food distribution (for flood victims).
UPDATE 9AM: a bomb threat at the Hawai’i State Capitol forced the protest to be moved (we were directed to the nearby Iolani Palace grounds along King Street; the irony was not lost on many). Law enforcement evacuated the capitol building, closed down several streets in the area, and directed people to avoid the Capitol until the threat can be determined.
This is a nationwide protest that serves as a follow on to previous peaceful demonstrations against this criminal/corrupt regime in the United States. March 28th also adds the protest of the 2026 Iran War (which was unilaterally decided without Congressional approval) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations after recent shootings by immigration agents which have left citizens dead (and others being held in detention centers with conditions that are effectively human rights violations).
In Hawai’i, the protest (held across all islands) is being called No Dictators out of respect for the ali’i; the traditional monarchy of the Hawaiian Islands. The Kingdom of Hawai’i was illegally overthrown with active participation of agents and citizens of the United States (business people like Sanford P. Dole and members of the military); the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty of their native lands to the U.S.)
The crowd sizes have grown with each of these protests (organizers estimated 10,000 in Honolulu while 3,000 showed up in Hilo). Having been to the first one, it’s a significant difference (not just numbers, but the make up of those participating is broader now). Nationwide, organizers estimated over 8 million took part. Sure, there are the detractors who say that this sort of protests “don’t change anything” which misses the point completely. Why do authoritarian regimes go out of their way to silence dissent amongst their citizens and attempt to suppress the media/to control the messaging they put out? Because the people’s power is in their collective voices. The one important refrain is “silence is complicity”; I write what I write to make it clear which side of history I am on which is against this corrupt American regime.
Is there more that needs to be done? Of course. One weekend for a few hours every few months, isn’t going to cut it. I do believe it is getting more used to this notion of organizing and mobilizing (whereas the initial protests, there were many who had never taken part in one before). But there needs to be a point of an ongoing sit out; I’ve mentioned before about sustained economic boycotts as well as the need for a long term general strike (because shutting down the economic engine is one of the key things corporations will understand). The problem is that healthcare for many, are tied to their employer (it’s just one of many issues with how the system is rigged in the U.S. against the average worker which is why it will take a coordinated effort).
It’s like the opposition having to use the same old tired talking point that everyone taking part in these protests are paid actors (transportation secretary Sean Duffy did that back during the October 2025 protests). This is simply propaganda that is the hallmark of regimes. The big difference is this regime is still incompetent; allow it to cement itself in power over several election cycles though, and they will eventually get the hardline loyalists into every key part of the establishment to become that oppressive regime (which is why we protest while we can make a difference). The ironic part is they still use the term ANTIFA in this co-opted fashion without caring that it literally stands for ANTI-FASCIST (again, blame the mainstream media for not hammering them on things like this). But I digress.
Besides demonstrations and events happening in cities across the United States, there are also organized protests/rallies taking place worldwide in cities across Latin America, Australia, and Europe (since this war that was started by Israel and the U.S. is affecting economies globally). In an anti-war protest that took place on the 26th in Tokyo against prime minister Takaichi’s too close alignment to the U.S. (after her visit to Washington D.C.), there were some funny signs including one that said “Don’t Obey Pedorump” (part of that protest would fall in line with this No Kings/Dictators one; except just a few days earlier).
As for the signs at this Honolulu demonstration, there were some good ones.
Protesting in large numbers makes it harder for the complicit media in the U.S. (that have been bought out) to hide it (which is why there is now this alternative network of podcasters taking up that slack). Even news is now coming out of Israel with Israeli’s protesting against this war and Netanyahu. Additionally, while I don’t agree with Joe Kent’s politics, him leaving his position and speaking out publicly about how Iran was not an imminent threat, is what is needed (of course, he is getting discredited by the White House and the media complex that is also owned by Israeli lobbyists). I never thought I’d be involved in activist movements like this, but here we are (though it has been close to an year since I last took part in one of these protests in person).
The following are video streams (AP and C-SPAN) from what occurred earlier in the day (performance by Bruce Springsteen at the main rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota).
P.S. I’ve heard some interesting takes regarding what has been taking place (like claiming that things aren’t as bad as it could be, that it might be something new for American’s). I dunno… talk to those who are being racially profiled and actually targeted, have actually been detained, are actually still in a detention center, or worse of all, has been deported (all of this happening in record numbers during this regime).
Yes, what’s happening in the U.S. isn’t anything new given how this has been happening in other countries in modern history. It also isn’t completely new in the U.S. either. American’s have long been taught a whitewashed history that requires digging deeper into how this country has ignored how the presidency is open to abuse. We’ve always heard the refrain of how the founders created this system of checks and balances. But when you dig deeper, has been ripe for abuse once you get unethical people into positions of power.
Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson led this country with an autocratic fist. Jackson was considered a great general but one that lacked the temperament for the office (he’d beat up his opponents while some of his best soldiers were shot to death during duels with him). Jackson also led the ethnic cleansing of Native American’s. Jackson similarly held this cult of personality and was often referred to as King Andrew I.
Woodrow Wilson despised the first amendment and tried to get Congress to pass laws that would suppress dissent against him and to censor the press (they refused). He was a known racist that engaged in segregation while reducing the pay of Black government personnel, and advocated for nationalizing Jim Crow laws. He also used World War I to suspend Constitutional rights. Both of these presidents refused to play by the rules.
One major difference is we have a toddler in that position surrounded by unqualified incompetent clowns. The level of the destruction of the guardrails was allowed to take place by one of the worlds richest people. Additionally, huge sums of dark money (corporations and lobbyists) have politicians across the political spectrum beholden to these folks and NOT the constituents they are supposed to represent. If the current sitting POTUS and regime were actually competent, complete consolidation of power would solidify an autocratic dictator fairly quickly. Politicians have also had little appetite for actually plugging these holes. Even now, the opposition party (Democrats) have several in the ranks that are continuing like it is business as usual.
The experiment in democracy has been challenged before but probably not to this current extent where most all of the institutional guardrails are now gone (a few election cycles to get loyalist judges in place and further purging of the civil service and military will be the deathblow). Basically, it’s been a long game for the autocratic forces; if the broken parts of our system aren’t addressed and actually fixed, it will all eventually fail. But then again, all empires have been temporary ones (we’re clearly closer to the tail end of the American empire and that inertia may just be too difficult to overcome at this point anyway).
