Editorial: Freedom of Assembly and Speech Through Protest

By Alesi Meyers-Tuimavave

Last semester, I along with 10-15 other students and community members, took part in a protest on Friday May 3, 2024 at the Board of Regents (BOR) open forum. The event was held in UCB 100 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo).

In light of the Political Science department's Constitution Day event mentioned (see pg 8), I felt it relevant to highlight the parallel between the protest, and the freedoms of assembly and speech within the US Constitution which covers our rights as students.

As the first amendment of the US Constitution reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

With that being said, organizers of the protest felt it was well within our constitutional rights to hold such a protest in order to "stand in solidarity with Palestine in the midst of the ongoing genocide of their people."

An important distinction organizers want to make is that we were also standing for the innocent lives lost in Israel, also due to the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel. Organizers stated that "those who don't support their Zionist leaders don't deserve to die just for being born or living somewhere."

We started our journey at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center parking lot, moving along the sidewalks of Hale 'Olelo, through the dorms onto the Mookini Library Lanai, and finally, through the Campus Center Plaza. We completed our protest on entering the BOR meeting.

The BOR forum was held for students, staff, professors, and community members to share their opinions on what they want to see in the next UH president, along with any concerns they may have regarding the on-going presidential search.

protestors with signs marchingProtestors marching to the Mookini Library Lanai, posters and megaphone in-hand. Four of us protesting got up and gave testimonies at the forum, while the rest of us sat together in the back with our posters and signs on-hand (see pg 26 for update on UH president search.) Organizers of the protest decided to have us end at the BOR forum because we wanted to "call attention to the military projects and companies being supported and invested in by the UH system, also connected to Israel and Zionists."

As students and citizens of the US, our protest stayed well within our rights of exercising freedom of speech and assembly. If these rights weren't put in place in the US Constitution, we might not have been able to conduct such an event without repercussions. photos of protestors marching alongside Hale ‘OleloProtestors marching alongside Hale ‘Olelo.