Community | August 22, 2009 | 3 comments

Hawaiian Group Protests Statehood Conference

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The group carried an effigy of Uncle Sam in its "fake state celebration."

The protestors promised to hold a peaceful march from Ala Moana Beach Park to the convention center.

At one point, protestors turned on the American flag and cut out a star.

"When we cut the star out it symbolized it was an illusion from the beginning," protestor Joseph Frietas said.

They then took that single star, the 50th star, and set it on fire.

Organizers said the common thread of those taking part in the march was independence. Their goal was to educate people about Hawaii's history.

The "New Horizons" conference is the main event hosted by the Hawaii Statehood Commission. There are workshops on the future of the islands in education, economy, military, media, energy and more.

In the evening, there is a reception for the attendees.

More than 1,500 people attended the conference.

Iolani Palace Quiet During Statehood Anniversary

The usual center of the debate over statehood, Iolani Palace, was spared from controversy Friday as a protest and an event were held at the Hawaii Convention Center.

However, the royal palace remains a house of power for teaching a troubling history.

Jan Youth brought her grandchildren to the palace Friday.

"Because I can remember the day that they announced statehood and all the cheering that went on, and I kind of thought maybe there would be something to day," Youth said.

The family joined Japanese tourists, listened to a recorded tour, saw the paintings and furniture.

By having all the statehood events down at the convention center, the people who went to Iolani Palace on Friday were able to enjoy its tranquility and perhaps some of its tumultuous history, especially in the imprisonment room, where deposed Queen Liliuokalani spent seven months.

"I am sort of half and half because I thinks it's good we are in the U.S. because we are free, and on the other hand we are kind of destroying the Hawaiian history. So, I am kind of mixed," Youth's grandson, Raceson,
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