Five people were arrested Thursday after a radical sovereignty group muscled its way into the Honolulu headquarters of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
A dozen or so members of a Kauai-based group known as Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi/Hawaiian Kingdom barged into the Nimitz Highway offices at about 11 a.m. before assaulting at least two staff members and harassing and verbally threatening others.
“It was very traumatizing and emotional for our employees,” OHA CEO Kamana‘opono Crabbe said afterward.
Men wearing police-type badges and T-shirts proclaiming “federal marshal” took control of the OHA lobby, forcing employees out with threats of violence and intimidation, witnesses said.
Two men were assaulted, including one who was tackled to the floor. Authorities said a 38-year-old man complained of pain but declined treatment.
OHA employee Zuri Aki said there were some tense moments that featured posturing, pushing and threats. A couple of the men told him they were seizing OHA assets, he said.
Dozens of police officers responded to the scene, eventually blocking access to the offices while the standoff continued for nearly two hours.
Police arrested four men, ranging in age from 27 to 62, at 1:45 p.m. on suspicion of third-degree assault. Their bail was set at $100 each. A fifth man, age 39, was arrested on suspicion of harassment.
All five remained in police custody Thursday night, said Michelle Yu, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman.
During the takeover, employees were presented with “Search and Seizure Warrants” as well as a document claiming the property was registered with the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi/ Hawaiian Kingdom.
“The real kingdom is back,” one of the Atooi men shouted during a social media livestream.
Some businesses in the largely retail center at 560 N. Nimitz Highway were told to close during the incident, and OHA staff members were released for the day.
“On behalf of the board and the administration, we take this matter very seriously to protect our employees,” Crabbe told the media afterward. “We want to thank HPD for responding so quickly.”
Crabbe said the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi group had appeared at the OHA headquarters two weeks ago with some concerns. He didn’t elaborate on the concerns, but Crabbe said he was under the impression they had reached a mutual understanding. Why they returned today is unclear, he said.
“We can’t respond to what their motives were,” he said.
Crabbe said OHA would be working with HPD to improve security.
The event comes on the 126th anniversary of the overthrow of Hawaiian Queen Lili‘uokalani, and hundreds of Native Hawaiians marched from Mauna Ala burial ground to Iolani Palace to mark the occasion.
OHA Trustee Brendon Kalei‘ina Lee said it was sad the incident would dominate the news instead of the peaceful march and commemoration.
Hawaiian community leader Hinaleimoana Wong condemned the action by the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi.
“I question their integrity, I question their logic and I question their complete lack of leadership and the negative precedent that this sets for the Hawaiian community,” she said.
The Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi is led by Dayne Aleka Gonsalves of Kekaha, also known as Alii Nui (king) Aleka Aipoalani. Gonsalves has had some run-ins with the law, including the time he was arrested during a Superferry protest in 2007 and when he flashed a kingdom federal marshal badge at a county meeting the same year.
Honolulu attorney James Wright said the group has a reputation on Kauai for being dangerous and violent.
“They don’t hold signs and pule (pray). They’re more in the tradition of cracking heads,” he said.
Wright, who testified in the trial against Majesty Akahi Nui, also known as James Kimo Akahi, the Maui man and self-proclaimed king of Hawaii who briefly occupied Iolani Palace in 2008, said the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi is well organized, committed and should be taken seriously.
Thursday’s incident, he said, underscores a growing restlessness among some Native Hawaiians anxious about their rights and conditions in the islands.
Star-Advertiser staff writer Leila Fujimori contributed to this report.
