Portside

1/3

MICHELLE BIR / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

Hundreds of people gathered Monday in front of the state Capitol to sign wave at the “Workers Over Billionaires” nationwide protest. 

Hundreds of union members, public workers, and community advocates gathered at the state Capitol on Monday to mark Labor Day with a rally focused on economic inequality and opposition to the Trump administration.

The event was part of the nationwide “Workers Over Billionaires” protests, which organizers said were meant to draw attention to how tax, labor and immigration policies are affecting working families across the country.

For Honolulu firefighter James Duggins, the rally was a chance to express what he described as growing frustration among public servants who feel left behind.

“Workers build communities, billionaires consume them,” Duggins said.

He pointed to crumbling fire stations and underfunded classrooms, including those where his wife, a public school teacher, works.

“We’ll keep doing our jobs, but it’s not right that while billionaires send their friends into space, regular folks are just trying to put food on the table.”

Duggins argued that recent federal tax cuts have disproportionately benefited the wealthy, leaving “the middle and lower classes fighting over scraps.”

He called the situation “a class war,” saying the current administration has presided over “a massive power and wealth grab.”

His wife, Tasha Firestone, who teaches at Nanakuli Intermediate School and is a member of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said she worries about how education funding and school voucher programs could impact students in low-income communities.

“I’m all for public schools, especially in places like Nana­kuli where families are already struggling,” said Firestone, who is also a mother of two children ages 8 and 6. “It feels like billionaires who say they have the answers are out of touch with the real lives of our kids.”

For many participants including Firestone and Duggins, Monday’s rally was not their first time protesting the Trump administration.

CJ, a Kailua resident, has been rallying since March with Indivisible Hawaii, a grassroots group that gathers weekly in Kailua to “protect and enhance democracy.”

On Monday, CJ dressed as the Statue of Liberty, donning turquoise hair, a crown, robe and slippers while holding a sign that read “I love my civil servants.”

“I think, for resistance to be sustainable, it needs to be a little bit fun,” she said. “But at the same time, I’m angry. What worries me most is losing our democracy. If people lose their say, then everything else is lost.”

CJ said she draws parallels to 1940s Europe, when “good, decent people were afraid to speak up.

She brought her adult children to the rally because she said she fears for the future economy and environment they will inherit.

“Especially in Hawaii, we need to make sure our kids can live in a safe, healthy world,” she said.

Labor unions also turned out members for the rally, though the event was not formally organized by them.

Eric Gill, vice president of UNITE HERE Local 5 and a Sheraton employee, said unions had a duty to stand with others pushing back against inequality.

“Labor Day is our day, so of course we need to show up,” Gill said. “What we’re seeing across the country is a pattern of terror against workers, especially immigrant workers. Every time there’s a setback, billionaires blame immigrants to divide us. But our strength is in unity.”

Gill noted that while Hawaii has not seen immigration raids on the scale of some mainland cities, the administration’s rhetoric has caused fear among immigrant workers and their families.

He said Hawaii’s own history underscores the importance of inclusivity: the Hawaiian monarchy once invited workers from abroad to help rebuild the islands’ economy after waves of disease reduced the Native Hawaiian population.

“This community has always been made up of people from many places who were asked to come and contribute,” Gill said. “I’m proud of how far Hawaii has come … we’re not going to let billionaires and politicians turn us against each other.”

The Trump administration and its supporters have defended policies such as tax cuts and deregulation as pro-growth, saying they have spurred investment, strengthened the economy, and created jobs. They argue that a strong economy benefits working families by driving opportunity and innovation.

But rally participants on Monday said they are not seeing those benefits. Many described working two or three jobs to get by, rising housing costs and public services stretched thin.

“It’s beyond frustrating. It’s scary,” Firestone said. “When you’re dealing with a person in power who doesn’t obey the law and thinks they’re above the rest, you have to be scared, in a sense, because you don’t know what they’re going to do or how they’re going to handle these situations.”

The Capitol rally featured speeches, chants and a march around the grounds. Protesters carried signs supporting unions, public education and immigrant rights, and criticizing policies they say favor billionaires.

Organizers said the turnout reflected growing energy among Hawaii residents concerned about the direction of the country. For some, simply standing alongside others provided encouragement.

The rally was coordinated by Indivisible chapters on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii island. Organizers criticized the Trump administration’s tax law — dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” by the president — as a giveaway to billionaires at the expense of working families, Medicare and Social Security.

Jay Henderson, a member of the leadership council of the Hawaii chapter of Indivisible, said immigration enforcement under the administration was a growing concern.

“Immigration and Customs Enforcement is largely below the radar here in Hawaii, but we think they are a very sinister threat, especially to workers,” Henderson said. “The spirit of aloha could really be in mortal danger,” he added.

The rally in Honolulu mirrored actions across the nation, where workers marked Labor Day by demanding that their voices, not just the wealthiest Americans, shape the country’s future.