MOILIILI—Dozens of Oahu residents gathered this afternoon at Old Stadium Park for a protest march and vigil in the wake of the shooting death of 23-year-old Kollin Elderts at a Waikiki McDonald’s restaurant this past weekend. Elderts was allegedly shot dead by Christopher Deedy, a 27-year-old federal agent from Virginia in Honolulu as a part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference.

Since the incident, Deedy has been charged with second degree murder and released on bail.

Those gathered at the protest were there to demand justice in the shooting, and to protest APEC. The group marched from Old Stadium Park to the Hawaii Convention Center. A vigil is planned for later tonight at the McDonald’s location where the incident took place.

Gregory, a protestor who asked that only his first name be used, said of the APEC security presence in Honolulu: “It’s like putting the FBI in charge of a kid’s birthday party.”

Many of those in attendance invoked Elderts’ name when decrying APEC’s presence in Hawaii. The protest was held about 50 yards from a line of “homeless” tents along King Street.

Speaking of the “occupation” of Hawaii of the last 100 years, protest spokesperson Carolyn Hadfield said, “What happened to Kollin is symbolic of what we face here. Keeping information [about the incident] from the public is not the right thing to do.”

And while the tragedy of Elderts’ death does serve to illuminate the agenda of anti-APEC protestors, those involved were steadfast in their resolve to keep the protest about seeking justice for the victim and support for his family. Black armbands were passed out to participants as a memorial to Elderts.

“This event is about Kollin,” said Hadfield. “We’re demanding justice and the truth.” Hadfield also spoke of the fact that the accused killer Deedy is free on bail, stating that he is not even required to remain in Hawaii while the case proceeds.

“It’s emblematic of the power that is protecting him [Deedy],” said Hadfield.

Hadfield also urged protestors to abide by the law and avoid any confrontations with police, stating firmly that this was a nonviolent protest. She made the plea shortly after two dozen armed HPD police officers rode to the scene on bicycles. There was also a fairly large presence of officers in the aloha garb and straw hats assigned to many of officers assigned to APEC special duty. And while it was a show of force, it appeared that HPD officers were making an attempt to not appear intimidating.

Longtime Honolulu activist Kyle Kajihiro addressed the crowd as well, saying: “This is about dignity and respect. This is an act of healing as much as it is a protest.”

The mood at the protest was solemn but friendly, as participants struggled to temper anger with respect, ideology with the grim reality of the shooting death of Kollin Elderts.

Background & Related Stories

Background

APEC 2011

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a 21-nation club of primarily industrialized or emerging economies. It was conceived in 1996, just as free-market deregulations and trade liberalizations were fostering economic advantages to industrialized nations, when there first emerged a greater consolidation of corporate power across nations, creating international legally binding policies that asserted less government regulations by weakening the labor force and dismantling environmental protections.

APEC member economies include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russia, and Vietnam.

To view the City’s APEC services information page, click here

APEC’s 21 member economies today account for 55 percent of global GDP, purchase 58 percent of U.S. goods exports, and comprise a market of 2.7 billion consumers. Seven of America’s top 15 trade partners are in APEC.

Proponents for APEC-related globalization efforts claim that by increasing international trade, it promotes diversity and multiculturalism, benefiting the third world by raising living standards and promoting democracy.

A major area of concern for activists is the negotiation of a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Nine APEC countries, but not the full 21 members, are in negotiations over this trade treaty. The nine countries are the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Peru, Malaysia, Chile, and Brunei. China and Japan are currently considering signing the TPPA.

From November 9-11, running concurrent with the 2011 APEC meeting in Honolulu, a group of activists is a counter-conference called Moana Nui. Notable scholars and activists such as Walden Bello from the Philippines, Jane Kelsey from New Zealand, and Lori Wallach of Public Citizen along with cultural practitioners from across the Pacific will discuss alternatives to corporate-led globalization.

For information on Moana Nui, visit moananui2011.org.