Kauai Superferry Protest

[red]

Kauai Superferry Protestors Could Face Federal Charges
Jim Mendoza - jmendoza@kgmb9.com

On the shoreline demonstrators chanted "Go back! Go back! Go back!"

The anti-Superferry sentiment poured out at Kauai's Nawiliwili harbor Monday. On the water, surfers tried to block the vessel from sailing into the channel that leads to Hawaii Superferry's Kauai port.

"There were people swimming in the water, people jumping off, just saying yeah that's how to stop this," said Jimmy Trujillo of environmental group Hui R.

At times the demonstration got ugly. Some protestors pounded on a passenger's car to block its exit. One man tried to flatten its tires.

"Some of the protestors had chained the harbor entrance gate shut and we were really concerned that if there was a medical emergency or something of that nature it would have been hard to get into and out of the harbor at that point," State transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said.

Earlier in the afternoon, a surfer paddled right up to the catamaran until the U.S. Coast Guard cut him off.

"They kept backing up and they backed right over the nose of my surfboard, chewed up my board and pulled it away from me," one surfer said.

On shore Kauai police pepper sprayed some people and arrested three men: 22-year-old Justin Wood of Kapaa, 28-year-old Bomun Bock-Chung of Kilauea, and 49-year-old Randy Wolfshagen of Kekaha. Charges range from disorderly conduct to obstructing government operations - all misdemeanors.

"We got no problem with the people," Trujillo said, referring to Superferry passengers. "We got problems with the fact that the corporate entity is running rough shod and the guys with guns, that's the Coast Guard, they're protecting them."

A Superferry statement said the company is "extremely disappointed" for passengers. It called the Kauai demonstrators the "minority."

At least one, and maybe all three, of the protestors arrested could face federal charges for paddling within 100 yards of the catamaran. The offense carries a $32,500 fine and up to ten years in prison.

[HMARK]

the Coast Guard, they're protecting them

NB- I aint saying nothing but these guys.......Morons.

[Rocky Rockbottom]

Randy Wolfshagen

Shagen wolves or felching....Randy is Randy.

[LGREANZ]

i think it s bizarre that its mostly angry white(ish) looking folks out there making noisee.

i feel bad for the poor people that had to leave their cars on another island
and then fly home.

i was looking forward to the ferry but not anymore.

local boys was irate @nawilili
that one guy on the bouy was fired up
i seen it firing in there once

[surfer9joe]

I talked to my friend from over there, he was for the protest, but embarrassed about how sopme got violent, harrasing the people getting off the ferry. Said it the most excitement hes seen over there ever

[billaj]

i think it s bizarre that its mostly angry white(ish) looking folks out there making noisee.

Yea I saw in one of the papers a pic of an irish looking chick protesting it. I thought WTFFFFFFF??

I don't understand really why they are protesting. Won't the majority of ferry users be kama'aina?

The only thing I can think of is drugs, which would be hard to smuggle on the ferry anyways.

[red]

They don't want all the extra traffic and homeless overflowing from Oahu. This really does have a great potential to change life on the outer islands for the worse so in this case an EIS is a very good idea. Personally I would rather do without the convenience if it means turning every island into what Oahu has already become.

[goro]

hippies, uninvited, invaded kauai in droves...with no respect for rules, laws, culture and local people...they impacted and changed much of the landscape and face of the island...now they've taken much of it over, they're willing to protect their island, thru intimidation and violence, against local people visiting from another island?...pleeeezzz...

[LGREANZ]

two great perspectives from both sides of the coin
first from a transplant, then from a local.

this thread should great intresting.
i read a letter to the newspaper which said in ancient
hawaiian times all of the hawaiian islands were at war with each other
via canoes and all this ferry service is gonna do is re-open the old conflicts
but in modern times with out the use of canoes to invade.

will the ferry service have the same strict TSA rules as boarding a plane. ?

[red]

I'm just kinda repeating what I've heard. Everybody I know from here loves the superferry while the few people I know on the outer islands are all pretty much against it.

[LGREANZ]

I'm just kinda repeating what I've heard. Everybody I know from here loves the superferry while the few people I know on the outer islands are all pretty much against it.

oh yeah , i kinda agree w/ you.
i dont think it will ruin the outer islands.
i think i would be worried about the influx of homeless.

but whats gonna happen when you get crews of surfers from Maui, Big Island and Kauai invading the Oahu lineups, with a "we gonna take over mentality" camping out at the surf zones around Mokuleia, North Shore and West side.
people tend to rough it on the outer islands, and i can see people staying the entire winter season on the beach if the conditions are crip.
or showing up when there is a nice weather forecast for the week

people are gonna be coming in groves, i can see it now.....
and before you know it there will be protest on Oahu
or beefs at the beach amongst locals homeless and campers

[race]

If the people from the superferry were smart, they'd pay Matson a sh*tload of money and tether up to a Matson freight carrying oil, food, living goods, etc. Then we'll see how independent Kauai wants to be.

[surfer9joe]

i put up a website that automatically updates news about the ferry
http://www.superferryinhawaii.com