Group protests construction work at West Maui site

Community members showed up at a Lahaina construction site again Wednesday to protest what they say are unpermitted construction activities just south of Lahaina town in an area that holds historic, cultural and burial sites.

The gathering at a West Maui Land Co. job site continued Wednesday, even after five women were arrested on Tuesday. They climbed down into a trench that was being dug to place waterlines, police said in a news release.

There were around 20 adults and children Tuesday at the job site in the area of Hokiokio Place, police said. West Maui Land employees provided the group an alternate area to protest, which was a safe distance away from the heavy machinery, police said.

The parties refused to leave the active trenching area and were subsequently placed under citizen’s arrest for criminal trespass in the second degree, police said. The incident took place around 12:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The Lahaina residents arrested were Uilani Kapu, 55; Lindal Magalianes, 57; Victoria Kahina-Palafox, 64;

Kahikalani Niles, 35; and Consuelo Apolo-Gonsalvez, 47. All parties were released after posting $100 bail each, police said.

The protesting group said that no arrests were made Wednesday and called Tuesday’s arrests illegal. They said that no citizen actually made an arrest but instead that police appeared to make the arrests at the request of West Maui Land employees.

The group said that police showed up again Wednesday morning but left after the group said the officers determined it was a civil matter regarding the underlying land ownership. The group said construction crews also left.

Peter Martin, treasurer and vice president of West Maui Land Co., deferred comment to company archaeologists. There was no immediate response Wednesday evening.

The protesting group said West Maui Land and its subsidiaries should stop construction activities until burials and historic properties can be properly surveyed and protected. They add that there are several cemeteries, recorded and unrecorded state historic and cultural sites and an old government road portion of Mill Street.