Marchers reach APEC site, urge justice for shooting
Marchers walk today on a Kapiolani Boulevard sidewalk across from the Hawai'i Convention Center, holding up signs demanding justice for Kollin Elderts, who was shot and killed in a Waikiki McDonald's Restaurant by a federal agent.
Marchers pause on a sidewalk across from the Hawai'i Convention Center, under the watchful eyes of Honolulu police officers.
Dennis Tynan joined marchers on a Kapiolani Boulevard sidewalk across from theHawai'i Convention Center, holding up a sign demanding justice for Kollin Elderts, who was shot and killed in a Waikiki McDonald's Restaurant by a federal agent. Tynan said he participated in the march to "make sure the family didn't think all mainland haoles were bad."
About 70 people took part in a march today to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting site at the Hawai’i Convention Center to urge officials to reach a just resolution to the case involving Saturday’s fatal shooting of a Kailua man allegedly by a federal agent here for APEC.
Christopher Deedy, 27, a special agent with the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, has been charged with fatally shooting Kollin Elderts, 23, at the Kuhio Avenue McDonald’s restaurant.
The groups Hawaii Peace & Justice and World Can’t Wait organized the march from Old Stadium Park in Moiliili to the convention center, then planned to hold a vigil at the Waikiki restaurant where the shooting occurred.
The group reached the convention center a little before 4:50 p.m. They lined up along barricades on Kapiolani Boulevard, silently displaying signs for people inside the glass-walled convention center to see. Police officers stood between them and the center, but none of the demonstrators was making a move to get closer.
People began gathering at the park about 4 p.m. Signs were handed out to people reading “Justice For Kollin Elderts, Killed by APEC Agent,” with Elderts’ photo.
People made a couple of brief speeches about honoring the Elderts family and urging participants to press officials for justice for the victim.
The group began walking at 4:20 p.m., first east on King Street then makai of McCully Street and toward the convention center. They walked on the sidewalk in relative order and quiet. About a dozen police officers walked with the group, and a dozen more on bicycles stopped cross-street traffic for the marchers. About a dozen reporters and camera operators walked along with the group.
One person held a sign saying, “I’m Part of the 99.9 Percent,” but most participants said the march was about the Elderts case and not about APEC policies.
