Topless Waikiki Protesters Cite First Amendment

KITV

UPDATED 9/19/11 1:45 p.m.

What started as a topless protest in Waikiki has become a test of free speech rights in Honolulu.

UPDATE Two University of Hawaii students on Monday were arraigned in Oahu District Court on charges that they protested in Waikiki without a permit.¹

The Honolulu Prosecutor's Office was granted a continuance on the case, so the Meiers were not required to enter a plea at this point.

Jamie and Tess Meier, both Maui residents attending UH Manoa, were cited by the Honolulu Police Department Aug. 21 on Kalakaua Avenue, where they held signs and circulated a petition advocating for gender equality as part of a nationwide protest, "National Go Topless Day." Neither was wearing a top during their demonstration.

"We are appalled that this close to APEC, with hundreds and perhaps thousands of protesters, and the eyes of the world on Honolulu, that HPD still does not understand or respect the rights of protesters," said Laurie A. Temple, a staff Attorney for the ACLU of Hawaii, which is also representing the Meiers.

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