Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government returned to the 'Iolani Palace grounds before 6 a.m. this morning and have obtained a permit allowing them to gather, according to a state official.

The group said it will continue to occupy the mauka side of the property indefinitely.

The sovereignty group obtained from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources this morning a permit to hold its gathering on the mauka lawn of 'Iolani Palace through the week, state Land Board Chairwoman Laura H. Thielen said.

Such permits are required for any group that holds an assembly of 25 or more people at a state park, Thielen said this afternoon.

"We have given them conditions that they must meet while they are exercising their First Amendment rights there," Thielen said. "They've told us they will be meeting those conditions. And we are ready to enforce them."

DLNR officials told Hawaiian Kingdom representatives last week that they needed to abide by the same parking and other park rules as everyone else, as well as obtain a permit to assemble.

This morning, law enforcement officials with the DLNR, which has jurisdiction over the grounds, were on hand. At least six officers were monitoring the grounds from the mauka entrance.

The sovereignty group first arrived on the grounds early Wednesday morning when about 75 of its members locked and blocked the entrances to the grounds and called it their "seat of government."

The group took the weekend off but returned to the grounds this morning.

The group's representatives were also warned that, starting this week, the parking meters on the grounds had to be fed for all of their vehicles or they would be ticketed. Last week, state officials declined to cite the group for not filling the meters.

At least eight parking stalls were being used by the group early this morning.