Protesters gathered on three islands Tuesday morning to send a noisy message to Alexander & Baldwin: Give up the rights to the millions of gallons of water diverted each day from East Maui streams.

On Oahu a coalition of Native Hawaiians and Sierra Club supporters marched to A&B’s downtown building on Bishop Street, where the group chanted slogans for nearly three hours as the company’s annual shareholder meeting was held inside.

Obtaining the proxy of a sympathetic shareholder, Marti Townsend, director for Sierra Club of Hawaii, gained entrance to the meeting and read a statement urging A&B to withdraw its support for a bill that would allow the company to bypass a court order to give up its water rights.

“Our request is simple: that Alexander & Baldwin withdraw its support for HB 2501 and begin to comply with all of the long-standing laws protecting Hawaii’s waters as a public trust resource,” Townsend said.

Asked to respond, A&B issued the following statement Tuesday:

“We respect the rights of individuals to gather and voice their concerns. And while we welcome dialogue, our annual meeting is held for A&B shareholders to conduct certain items of company business, and is not an appropriate venue for a public forum.”

The company added, “Access to water on Maui is a difficult issue and, for the past 15 years, we have followed the proper state and regulatory procedures in an effort to secure a long-term solution to accessing water for agricultural purposes. It is our hope that we, along with 36,000 farmers and residents in Upcountry Maui, and farmers, ranchers and utilities on Hawaii and Kauai, will be allowed continued access to state water while pursuing the lease process — a process that hopefully can be completed in the near future.”

A&B has been allowed to use the water from dozens of streams for more than a decade while the state Board of Land and Natural Resources weighs the company’s application for a long-term lease of the water. A&B has been diverting water under four revocable permits meant to be temporary, pending the resolution of legal challenges to the water.

East Maui farmers have been challenging A&B’s permits since 2001, claiming that the water diversions have crippled taro farming and stream ecosystems. They are asking that water flow be partially restored to 12 streams.

On Jan. 8, Circuit Judge Rhonda Nishimura ruled that A&B’s four revocable permits were invalid, ruling that allowing continuous, multiple one-year leases is inconsistent with the “public interest and legislative intent.”

While Maui County is appealing the ruling with the support of A&B and the Land Board, A&B went to the Legislature to press for a bill that allows the company to hold on to its water rights until the lease process is resolved. The company had also announced that it was willing to give up the water in seven streams.

On Bishop street on Tuesday, 50 protesters at about 9 a.m. held signs demanding “water justice” and, with the help of a loudspeaker, chanted slogans such as “A&B’s a bully, A&B’s a thief, crooked politicians, can’t get no relief.”

Joshua Noga, Sierra Club of Hawaii conservation program coordinator, said the company was hearing the message loud and clear.

“The things that happen in this building affect the people of East Maui and continues the cultural genocide in regard to dewatering the streams,” he said.

Wahineaipohaku Tong of Waianae said she couldn’t believe A&B was still trying to hold on to the water rights even though the company announced recently it was closing its 36,000-acre sugar plantation.

“I’m just here to support our brothers and sisters on Maui and all the islands that try to fight for the water to live, to eat,” she said.

Demonstrations were also held at the A&B offices on Maui and in Hilo.

Townsend said A&B argues that the water diversions it wants to hold onto are only temporary, but the historical record shows that the company is reluctant to let go.

“They know water is power. And that’s a real problem for us,” she said. “If you have streams running dry, you’re taking more than your fair share of water. The way the law is set up, the stream is always supposed to flow to the ocean, but that’s not happening.”

Townsend said the East Maui watershed produces 450 million gallons on a wet day.

”It’s an amazing amount of water. But they’re taking that water and using it to make money. It’s a public trust resource,” she said.

Townsend described A&B’s proposal to permanently restore seven streams as nothing more than crumbs.

“This is a classic case of give a little to get a lot,” she said.

“This is not A&B’s water to give, especially in the context of a bill that would allow them to divert stream water without a good reason.”