Protesters’ campsite cleared after complaint from TheBus

The city stepped up pressure on members of (de)Occupy Honolulu on Wed­nes­day, removing about six tents and other property from in front of the Blaisdell Center Concert Hall with just 15 minutes’ warning.

But hours after the 11:45 a.m. enforcement action, group members had set up new tents on the front lawn of the concert hall and vowed to remain in the vicinity of Thomas Square, where they have camped since fall 2011 in protest of government policies on homelessness and other issues.

City spokesman Jesse Broder Van Dyke said the action was prompted by complaints from Oahu Transit Services, which runs TheBus, that its operations were being disrupted.

Members of (de)Occupy moved their tents in front of the concert hall Monday after they were booted from the makai sidewalk of Thomas Square when the city closed it for renovations at the park. They had moved to the makai sidewalk after being booted from the mauka side of the park, along Beretania Street, two months ago.

"The recent relocation of tents and personal property along the Blaisdell Concert Hall bus bay is creating a safety hazard and is interfering with the orderly management of city property," Broder Van Dyke said.

OTS President Roger Morton said at least nine Route 1 and Route 2 buses pass through the stop every hour. The tents were placed too close to the curb and some of the exit doors of the long, articulated buses were being blocked, he said.

"There was just not a safe margin of clearance," Morton said.

Because it was deemed a safety issue, the city did not issue a 24-hour notice of removal as is typically required under the existing Stored Property Ordinance. Follow-up legislation, Bill 7, which allows the city to remove any property deemed a "sidewalk nuisance" without 24-hour notice, is scheduled to take effect this summer.

Sugar Russell, (de)Occupy Honolulu supporter, criticized city officials for taking the action with little warning in the middle of a weekday when many of its members were at work, in school or at appointments.

Russell said city officials did not explain where the campers may place their possessions legally.