I attended. About 50 committed people were there. The gathering was led by Maui Tomorrow reps. It was positive and intended to show support for the Hawaii Judiciary to stand firm in support of the existing law HRS 343 and not be swayed by the new unconstitutional bill recently passed. Most of the people there spoke and had something good to say. I was impressed by an MCC student named Suzanne who rode her bike to the Wailuku courthouse from Pukalani in the rain to attend this meeting. That's like 14 miles in the rain. This things not over. I'm thinkin' the Superferry manipulators have no idea of the kind of commitment they're up against. A few phrases came out of some things people were saying there: Superferry Kapu!, Aloha Aina, and Malama Maui or Malama Kauai.
BTW, a couple of speakers at the Maui meeting mentioned the military aspects and DU issues associated with the Superferry. One of the people there, Karen Chun, has constructed a good web page on Depleted Uranium in Hawaii at:
http://www.noduhawaii.com/index.html
This just in, here is a brief report on the Kauai "Nawiliwili Ti Party" of 11/4/07:
Last updated November 4, 2007 7:29 p.m. PT
Protests target Hawaii Superferry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LIHUE, Hawaii -- Demonstrators protesting the Hawaii Superferry said Sunday they're worried it could change the outer islands' rural lifestyle and set a precedent for overriding the courts.
About 250 people gathered at the event dubbed the "Nawiliwili Ti Party" at Nawiliwili Park on Kauai, The Kauai Garden Island News reported.
"The reason people live here is specifically to not be connected," said Timoteo Rysdale of Wailua. "We don't need people here until we can take care of Kauai."
The protesters voiced their displeasure over a measure passed by state lawmakers last week allowing the Superferry to start service, circumventing court rulings requiring it to wait for the completion of an environmental study.
The Superferry could resume ocean voyages from Oahu to Maui and Kauai within two weeks.
As part of the event, the demonstrators took to the sea to participate in a water protest. They navigated their surfboards, canoes and kayaks to the middle of Nawiliwili Harbor to show solidarity with protests on Maui, the Big Island and Oahu.
Superferry executives had threatened to leave the state if they had to wait for an environmental review to be done, which could have taken months or years. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration had granted the ferry an exception to the state's environmental laws in 2005.
"The most upsetting thing to me is the process," said demonstrator Andrea Brower of Aliomanu. "It was so undemocratic, so illegal and is undermining the most important environmental law."
Others may see the way lawmakers gave in to the Superferry and think they don't have to obey environmental laws, said Jill Friedman of Kapaa.
"Every time the Legislature doesn't like the judge's decision, it will be challenged," she said.
Protesters also said they were concerned the Superferry could collide with whales, spread invasive species and bring traffic to the island.
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