Sign holder on Pali Highway told by police to move along

Question: Every weekday morning my 5-year-old niece waved to Tamara Barria Montana, who often exuberantly waved back. For the past few weeks, Tamara has been been missing from her normal lookout spot on Pali Highway. We are hoping that she is well and would like to let her know that she and her signs of love and peace are missed.

Answer: Montana moved her “Peace Project” from that location about a month ago, after a driver involved in a fender bender some 50 yards away complained to police that her sign expressing love and harmony was a distraction, Montana told Kokua Line via email on Friday.

“I really miss all the people’s aloha, ‘good morning,’ smiles, the loving energy that was present every day at Pali. Now I am trying different locations in the east side of the island and Kapiolani Park. I am going to places like Koko Head, Diamond Head, Magic Island and others places to continue the project,” she said.

She said the fender bender occurred more than a month ago, 164 feet past her former grassy location on the town-bound side of Pali Highway past Wyllie Street. About a week after the incident, she said, a police officer approached her, saying that the driver claimed to have been distracted by her sign. “Because of the complaint, and the code that applies in these cases, the police officer asked me very nicely to leave the location and not return to the area,” she said.

We followed up with the Honolulu Police Department but, due to Monday’s holiday, didn’t hear back by deadline. Given that political sign-wavers are active during election season in similar locations, we want to clarify the applicable code, and hope to address the subject in a future column.

Montana began her Peace Project in 2016 on Kalanianaole Highway near Ainakoa Avenue, a favorite spot of political candidates and their supporters for campaign sign-waving. Montana waved signs there for several months before moving to the Pali site around September.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist Lee Cataluna wrote about Montana in January (808ne.ws/peacelady), saying that the yoga and tai chi teacher, who is originally from Chile, described the Peace Project as one of universal inspiration intended to connect people heart to heart.

Montana appreciated knowing that some morning commuters miss her presence, and invited people to follow her on Instagram. She welcomes passers-by at her new locations to also hold signs saying “love,” “peace” and “namaste” (a Hindu salutation) and shares images of the interactions on social media.

“I invite everyone that feels inspiration to contact me, to be part of the project as peace ambassadors; to take the words, the smiles and the aloha and share it; to remind others of the truth: that in essence we are peace and love,” she told Kokua Line.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.