Senator wants answers on palace takeover
| • | 'Iolani Palace access restored after appeal from DLNR |
Advertiser Staff
The office of state Sen. Will Espero released his statement to the media this afternoon regarding the takeover of 'Iolani Palace:
This morning as I was coming to work, it was strange to see the Iolani Palace entrances locked and guards manning the area.
I went to one of the entrances to go to the Iolani Palace grounds and was not allowed to proceed because I was not Hawaiian. Apparently, individuals with the Kingdom of Hawaii had taken over the state property. As Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, I was concerned that our law enforcement division — the sheriffs and the Honolulu Police Department — were not present. During discussions with two of the Kingdom of Hawaii guards, I was informed that the state had been notified that these actions were going to occur. My questions to the state administration are:
I understand the concerns of some Native Hawaiians and I am sensitive to the issues that affect them. Moreover, I support peaceful protests. However, when their actions affect state government operations and personnel, our state leaders must be held accountable for their action or inaction. The DLNR controls the state property that is under siege, and the sheriff's office protects state property, yet as of noon it appears the state has done nothing to remove these individuals. I have placed calls to Laura Thielen, director of DLNR, and Sheriff John Lum, and am awaiting their response.
