All thats left of the Kanaka Garden,
photo courtesy the Kanaka Garden on Facebook

by David Corrigan

The controversial Kanaka Garden “grow-in” at Wailoa State Park near the King Kamehameha Statue in Hilo has been uprooted, and so have a handful of activists camping out at the location.

A series of photos posted to the Kanaka Garden at Wailoa Facebook page show the crops leveled to flat dirt. The contributors to the page report 8 to 10 people were arrested.

Reports say everyone who was arrested is out of jail at this time.

The footprint of the unauthorized plantings of kalo, banana and coconut have grown over the past few months on this land, which the Department of Land and Natural Resources says is under their jurisdiction. But this group says its all crown lands, under illegal occupation by the united States.

On Wednesday afternoon – as was expected – state authorities served the group with legal notice. Tamashiro and Lui were both named in the document. They were told they would have to cease and desist their activities.

In a phone message to Big Island Video News, Gene Tamashiro – one of the main organizers of the unauthorized planting – described the scene.

Gene Tamashiro

“… This morning at 5 o’clock in the morning, the DLNR and also County Police may have accompanied them… I’ve heard as many as 20 cars, came by to the Kanaka Garden and up-rooted all the plants, took down all the tents, all the signs and arrested – I don’t know – 4 or 5 people. Big operation, happened last night. Today, I hear: I did confirm it with the district court office at 1 o’clock there will be a hearing, at Room 2C at the court room. … this thing is unfolding pretty much as we expected, they’re pushing hard before the Merry Monarch Parade and they came in this morning, you know… in the darkness, 5 o’clock. ”

Tamashiro added that the group – and others – will gather at the same spot on Saturday morning before the parade, in “silent solidarity” to “send a message of peace, truth – with aloha – to everybody at the parade: What has happened, what is happening and that everyone needs to make a choice… Which way is Hawaii gonna go.”