Sunday, August 17, 2008

Restore the Monarchy!

A coup attempt in Hawaii....

Iolani Palace remained closed to the public yesterday and officials could not say yet when it would reopen after a group calling itself the Kingdom of Hawaii, Nation locked the palace gates Friday, which was Statehood Day, entered the palace itself and attempted to sit its leader on the throne.

The group's leader, James Kimo Akahi of Haiku, Maui, called himself the king of Hawaii.

They ran into a small problem.

Yesterday, Akahi said the group was planning to chain him to the throne, but couldn't find the throne room because they had never been to the palace before.

They're not the first.

.....in May when another group, the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, locked out visitors to the palace.

Apparently attempted secession isn't that big a deal in Hawaii....

State officers arrested 23 members of the group Friday -- 15 were booked and charged on suspicion of second-degree criminal trespassing, a petty misdemeanor. All were released after posting $50 bail. They are expected to be arraigned in District Court four weeks from Friday.

The other eight, including the group's leader James Kimo Akahi, were booked on suspicion of second-degree burglary, a felony. Seven remained at the downtown cellblock yesterday evening.

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