The City last week confiscated 32 items, including chairs, a sofa, coolers, a rug, a mattress and a Christmas tree stand, from Occupy Honolulu and homeless campers who use the makai sidewalks on South Beretania Street fronting Thomas Square.

Responding to complaints, city crews on Jan. 30 removed and stored 32 items which included: 13 chairs, 1 sofa, 2 coolers, an area rug, 2 office chairs, a Christmas tree stand, 2 one-gallon paint cans, a folding mattress, a pillow, a men’s belt, a quilt, a hat, slippers, an umbrella, 2 box springs, 1 queen mattress, a hand bag, 2 signs and 2 tents.

Crews from the City Facility Management Department assisted by city parks officials tagged the items on Jan. 29 under a 2011 city personal storage property law, which forbids storage of personal items on city property. Homeless campers and Occupy Honolulu protestors had 24 hours to remove the items or face having them confiscated. The items will be held at Halawa base yard for 30 days before being destroyed. 

The city issued 127 removal notices at Thomas Square and the other locations.

The cleanup also included public sidewalks in the areas at Aala Park, Smith Street, Pauahi Street, River Street, Makiki’s Cartwright Park, Pawaa Park, Kalamalu Playground and Park and Punchbowl and Queen streets. However, no items were removed from these areas because homeless campers removed the items after they were cited.

The city reported that 7.75 cubic yards of trash were removed from Thomas Square and other sites.

City crews also power washed the sidewalks after the tents and other items were removed.

Occupy Honolulu protestors have camped on the sidewalks of South Beretania Street in front of Thomas Square since November 2011.

However, civic groups, including supporters of the Honolulu Museum of Art, whose entrance fronts Thomas Square, have complained that sidewalks there during the past several months have once again become an encampment of homeless people.