HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - From
Wall Street to main streets around the world, protestors in more than 30 cities
will mark "Occupy Wall Street's" one-year anniversary on September 17, 2012.
Demonstrators in Honolulu say their fight against corporate greed and other
problems are still going strong.
The Occupy Honolulu group claims to be the longest running occupy group in the
world. About a dozen tents are lined up on the
Beretania street sidewalk fronting Thomas Square.
Some onlookers say it's an eyesore, but members of the group tell us it's the
most pleasant eyesore in Hawaii. They say its camps look is a way of getting
their message across. The group says their main issues are getting
"Genetically Modified Organisms" or GMOs labeled and finding a remedy
for Hawaii's houseless situation.
"This movement
is here with these tents, with the whole purpose of putting it in their face.
We do it in a manner that isn't destructive. We're not vandalizing, we're not
causing fights. You don't see rubber bullets and chaos and broken windows and
all that," said Chris Smith, an Occupy Honolulu member. "We do it in a way
that's truly peaceful and our camp has been shown throughout just for that
basis, how to maintain a peaceful movement."
The camp had been in Honolulu
since Nov. 1, 2011. Supporters have found ways to get around
the law enabling them to keep their set-up at Thomas Square. Chris Smith is
also a member of the Makiki neighborhood board. He tells us the group has no
intention of leaving, until Hawaii's houseless situation is fixed.
Occupy Honolulu has organized several events for Monday's celebration starting
with a rally at the State Capitol, followed by a discussion at Thomas Square.
Its supporters will then march to University and Dole, where they'll be setting
up for a weeklong camp.
Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
