Dozens of West Hawaii activists flocked to the highway Wednesday afternoon in support of a nationwide protest in opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, President Donald Trump and his administration’s ties to Project 2025.
The protest was held from around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on a busy stretch of Queen Kaahumanu Highway, just south of Henry Street, near the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The 50501 movement, a grassroots initiative, organized 50 protests in 50 states for a single day Tuesday, claiming the Trump administration is attempting “to destroy our freedoms and human rights,” according to a statement from the organization.
A much larger protest also took place in Honolulu, but plenty of West Hawaii residents made their Aloha Spirit known as they chanted “Save the Earth!” or “We the people say no!” while motorists honked horns and raised fists in support — although some others yelled vulgar comments at the demonstrators.
“We are standing in opposition to the recent barrage of executive orders by Trump and what we’re seeing since he entered into office,” activist and movement organizer Ann Catlin told West Hawaii Today. “Every day we’re waking up to nightmarish news, executive orders that undermine our democracy, threaten immigrants, limit legal immigration and threats to our environment. Frankly it’s sexist, homophobic and racist. Our environment can’t wait four more years to be addressed.”
The peaceful demonstration was aimed at promoting freedom of speech, racial equality, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, public health and safety, gun violence, climate change, wealth equity and an emphasis on co-existing, with a handful of protesters saying, “It’s not about being a Democrat or a Republican, but being human.”
“We’re watching a coup in real time. This is a moment to wake up. This is the Fort Sumter of our generation,” resident Sam Guckenheimer said, who was seen bearing a sign that read, “Everyone Is Illegal On Stolen Land.”
A member of the “intersex” community was present and shared with West Hawaii Today what the experience has been like living through a second term of Trump.
“Intersex is an umbrella term that represents people born in between the sexes, and I was born intersex,” Kona resident and singer Kyra Keli said. “I have XY chromosomes and testis in my abdomen. I am resistant to testosterone, and at birth I was born with a vagina, so I obviously appear female and have my whole life. I didn’t know I was intersex until I was 12 years old. Now, according to Trump’s executive order, I am considered male, and trans kids are considered the opposite sex if they want to be.”
“We just need to resist, because it’s heart-breaking what Trump is doing to our communities,” Kona resident Moriah Kramer said.
“We want to set the example and stand up for what’s going on in the country. Elon Musk has not been elected and has access to the Social Security data, which is criminal,” residents Emily and Max Robinson said.
It was a gathering of like-minded people, from elders to youngsters, who said they are fighting for a better tomorrow while asking for kindness and to accept all walks of life, even for the only person wearing a MAGA hat parked yards ahead of the protest with a sign that read, “Warning Sore Losers Ahead!!!”
Email Erik Gabaldon at egabaldon@westhawaiitoday.com.
