Police and state law enforcement officers arrested an estimated 20 members of a group that occupied the 'Iolani Palace grounds this evening and tried to forcibly enter the palace as staff members remained locked inside.

Members of the group, identified on its Web site as "Free Hawaii" allegedly struck a female palace staff member, causing minor injuries. They also locked gates around the palace, broke into the adjacent 'Iolani Barracks building and raised their flag on the barracks flagpole.

The group issued a statement claiming to have "reoccupied the throne of Hawaii." Its leader was identifed as Akahi Nui.

The action took place on Statehood Day.

The group is believed to be unrelated to the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, which has occupied part of the palace grounds since April.

State attorney general law enforcement officers and police entered the palace grounds about 8:30 p.m. and began arresting the Free Hawaii members. The suspects did not resist arrest.

Earlier today Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of 'Iolani Palace, said he and six other staff members were "in lockdown" in the palace and a nearby administration building, including the woman who was assaulted. She suffered scrapes but was not seriously injured, he said.

"These guys are threatening to go in the palace," said Chu, reached by phone. "There's about 25 of them. They've got a king and the king wants to sit on the throne.

"This is pretty serious; it's pretty intense here."

He said he understood a police officer standing nearby did nothing as his staff member was being assaulted, despite her request for help. "I thought they took an oath to protect the public," Chu said.

The notices were posted about 4 p.m. by about a dozen men wearing red Polo shirts with yellow lettering stenciled with "security" on the back.

One of the men, who declined to give his name, told The Advertiser: "We're going to be here for a while. Four days, five days, a week. A while. As long as it takes."

On the King Street side of the palace, the gates are locked with a chain and a sign that read: "This is Royal Property of the Kingdom and is off limits to all unauthorized personnel. Only those with special passes may enter these grounds. All others must acquire permit of passage. Signed by order of the King Akahi Nui. Alfred Love."

At one point, witnesseses said, three men shoved aside a palace employee as she attempted to allow someone onto the grounds. The incident occurred near the diamondhead side gate.

A witness, attorney James Wright, said the men struck the employee and slammed her into a gate in front of a Honolulu police officer. All the officer said is "this is not HPD jurisdiction," Wright said.

Wright said the woman was attempting to escort him onto the grounds when three men began to assault her.

"They hit her and hit her and hit and the police sergeant stood there and did nothing," Wright said.

While they were not punching her, "they were slamming her against the post and then slamming the gate on her," he said. "And the police officer did nothing to protect her. The cop literally walked away while she was still being pushed around."

Said Wright: "They said she could leave but no one could come in."

He said the woman did nothing to fight back except to shout "stop hitting me" and "stop assaulting me."

The group let reporters onto the palace grounds for about an hour. A spokesman, Alfred Love, said he was a federal marshal. He said he "placed the kingdom under federal protective custody" and has asked the U.S. Congress to determine that the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii was illegal.

"Our plan is to take the palace for the crown," Love said. "Our flag is now over the guard house, the flag has not flown since before 1892. We plan to be here forever."

A man named Delano Muller, who identified himself as a United Nations ambassador for the Kingdom of Hawaii, said he was there on behalf of a human rights organization, the Mina Muria Foundation.

Akahi Nui appears to be affiliated with the group Free Hawaii, described on the Web site freehawaii.lorg as "advocates of the restoration of Hawaiian Sovereignty under His Royal Majesty Akahi Nui heir to the Hawaiian throne."

The Web site states that Akahi Nui is a direct descendant of Kamehameha I. It goes on to describe him as "acknowledged by major sovereignty groups; recognized as Hawaii's King by the World Court; recognized by the United Nations..."

The Web site also states that "what the Hawaiians had and Majesty wishes to restore is a Constitutional Monarchy. A King who loves and respects his people is better than an elected official, who'll do anything to satisfy the 50.001 (percent) and maintain his personal power."

Further, "(r)emember it was a Monarchy that was illegally overthrown ... Hawaii's best chance of regaining their sovereignty would be under a similar system. Having once regained sovereignty they would, under their constitution, be able to establish ANY form of government they choose."

Akahi Nui and Free Hawaii are not the only ones claiming to be the rightful government occupying the palace.

Since April 30, a group known as the Hawaiian Kingdom Government has occupied the mauka, ewa-side lawn of the palace. After locking out selected members of the public for several hours that day, the group has since "conducted business" on the lawn during standard office hours nearly every weekday, including the Fourth of July.

That group states it follows Hawaiian Kingdom Law but has also continued to submit a weekly application to occupy the lawn from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the palace grounds.

It is believed that the Hawaiian Kingdom Government's actions stirred the Board of Land and Natural Resources to propose rules governing the use of the grounds. A hearing on the proposed rules took place in Honolulu Wednesday night.

Advertiser staff writer Rick Daysog contributed to this report. Reach Gordon Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or 690-8908.