Communication Honolulu police are so confident there will be no violent confrontations with protesters during the Asian Development Bank meeting next week that they are inviting the media to scrutinize their officers during the protests.
works to defuse
tensions with police,
ADB protesters
Neither side of the issue
anticipates any threat posed
to public safetyBig Isle activist urges
Hawaiians against ADBBy Nelson Daranciang
Star-Bulletin"So if you see something happening and there's some dialogue between one of our commanders and demonstrators, please come over there and jam your cameras right in our face because that's exactly what we want," Assistant Police Chief Boisse Correa told members of the media at a press conference yesterday.
The optimistic outlook was apparently shared by city and state officials who agreed to ease restrictions for protesters in a consent decree issued yesterday by the U.S. District Court. The agreement between ADBwatch, an umbrella group of protesters, and the state and city, was in response to the group's request for a federal restraining order against the restrictions, which they said would violate their free speech rights.
The group will withdraw its motion for the restraining order, and a hearing scheduled for tomorrow will be canceled, said Brent White, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii.
The ADB holds its annual meeting May 7-11 at the convention center.
The decree will allow the protest group to hold a march on May 9 without obtaining general liability insurance. It also will allow the public, including protesters, to gather on the Ala Wai Promenade behind the convention center between Kalakaua Avenue and the makai end of the convention center, White said.
The march will begin at Magic Island at noon May 9, proceed on Atkinson Drive for a protest rally around the convention center, then continue on Kapiolani Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue for another rally at Kapiolani Park.
"I'm very pleased," said Matt MacKenzie, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, "This is a great victory for us and anyone who wants to exercise their First Amendment rights in Hawaii."
Under the agreement, only 10 protesters will be allowed on the convention center grounds at a time.
The 10 will be escorted by police, subjected to a search before entering the designated area, and permitted to carry only leaflets and posters, according to the consent decree.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has a permit to close the sidewalks on the convention center grounds all week.
However the city agreed to keep the sidewalks across the street open to the public and protesters as well as the portion of the promenade along the Ala Wai Canal at the back of the convention center. The rest of the promenade will be closed.
"The agreement benefits all parties involved as it strikes a balance between the city's interest in maintaining public safety and the protesters' interest in having their message heard," City Corporation Counsel David Arakawa said in a written statement.
Three lanes on Atkinson Drive and Kapiolani Boulevard around the convention center will be closed for the rally on May 9, as well as all of Kalakaua Avenue for the march.
HPD has a permit for the exclusive use of the Ala Wai Clubhouse and baseball diamonds on Ala Wai Field to support their security efforts for the week of the meeting.
Police have also secured a permit for the exclusive use of the Ewa end of Ala Moana Park from McCoy Pavilion, including that portion of Ala Moana Park Drive.
Motorists will not be allowed to enter the park from that end and will have to turn around at McCoy Pavilion if they are traveling from the Diamond Head end.
However, the entire beach will remain open to the public.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
HILO >> Big Island social activist Jim Albertini is urging Hawaiians "to stand united in nonviolent protest" against the Asian Development Bank at the group's meeting in Honolulu next week. Big Isle activist urges
Hawaiians against ADBJim Albertini accuses politicians
of trying to divide HawaiiansBy Rod Thompson
Star-BulletinAlbertini criticized bank projects such as large dams, which he said displace indigenous people "for the global factory economy."
Albertini's appeal followed the announcement last week that a coalition of Hawaiians will make a presentation on Hawaiian history and culture to bank meeting delegates on May 9.
Albertini called the presentation an effort by Hawaii business and political leaders to divide the protest movement. He identified former state Democratic Party leader Walter Heen and Hawaii Island Economic Development Board president Paula Helfrich among those leaders.
Heen responded that Albertini was trying to give the Hawaiian presentation an establishment appearance by ignoring the participation of sovereignty activist Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele.
Rather than divide Hawaiians, the work on the presentation to the ADB has brought diverse people like himself and Kanahele together, Heen said.
Albertini also accused Helfrich of using Heen to prevent Hawaiian involvement.
Helfrich answered that she first consulted with Hawaiian elders, then proposed the idea of a presentation to the bank to her longtime friend Kanahele. Heen was invited to join later, she said.
