No Dictators Protests Planned Saturday in Hilo and Kona

Hilo and Kona joined more than 3,000 communities across the United States on Saturday when "No Dictators" sign-waving rallies drew residents to Hilo Bayfront Park and Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway as part of a nationwide day of action organized by the nonprofit Indivisible.

The Hilo event, co-sponsored by East Hawai'i Indivisible and the League of Women Voters of Hawai'i County, ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along the makai side of the road near the canoe clubs, extending toward the Mo'oheau Bandstand. In Kona, demonstrators gathered at 4 p.m. on Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway south of Henry Street, mauka of the LDS Temple, in an event hosted by Kona Indivisible.

Maryellen Tuttell of Kona Indivisible pointed to President Trump's public assertions about executive authority as the core grievance. "President Trump's statement that he is not bound by national or international law and is only bound by his own 'morals' should frighten everyone," she said. "Trump, a convicted felon who has been found liable for sexual abuse, has shown repeatedly that he has no morals."

Shana Kukila, president of the League of Women Voters of Hawai'i County, framed Hilo's gathering in the language of constitutional urgency. "As a nonpartisan organization working to defend democracy, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii County is proud to partner with Indivisible both locally and nationally as we rise up together in this time of constitutional crisis and extreme threats to our voting rights and freedoms," she said.

For Hawai'i County, the reach of Washington's policy decisions is not abstract: the island's population includes a substantial share of veterans, retired federal employees, educators and community leaders whose benefits, pensions and institutional funding flow directly from the federal government. Organizers said the demonstration served a dual purpose, aiming to channel Saturday's turnout into follow-up voter registration drives and letter-writing campaigns directed at elected representatives.

No permit details, road closure orders or law enforcement staffing advisories were publicly released ahead of either event, though motorists on Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway and drivers along Hilo's bayfront corridor would have encountered participants along both stretches during event hours. Organizers urged participants to remain peaceful and follow local guidance for gatherings throughout the day.

While Kukila and Tuttell emphasized the nonpartisan mission of their respective organizations, critics of such mobilizations have argued the demonstrations function as partisan vehicles rather than civic-minded outreach. Organizers acknowledged the tension in their own press materials, noting that events of this kind can polarize local debate even as they draw broad cross-sections of community members to the street.