Military surveillance of April 22, 2021 Earth Day protest at Pohakuloa to stop the bombing
Jim Albertini
Military surveillance of Earth Day protest at Pohakuloa to stop the bombing of the aina
Some rather strange Earth Day happenings! On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the day before Earth Day, I received a call at Malu Aina from a person who said "Hi jim, this is Gary. I'm calling about the Earth Day protest planned at Pohakuloa." I said is this Gary O from Ka'u, an old friend I haven't heard from in a while. The caller said. This is Gary. So I assumed is was my old friend. I said it was good to hear from him and told him what we had put out via email, etc. A protest to stop the bombing at Pohakuloa on Earth Day was planned from 10 - 11:30 AM on Thursday, 4/22 at the PTA main gate and we were planning a car pool from Hilo side leaving Komohana and Saddle Rd at 9AM. I hoped to see him there if possible, and that we would likely have a short talk-story gathering with snacks afterwards at Mauna Kea Park.
Well, it turns out the caller was not my old friend Gary from Ka'u. During our sign holding protest at Pohakuloa on Earth day, a local male in plain clothes came out of the base and said hello to those of us protesting. He said his name was Gary and he works at PTA. The voice was the Gary of the phone call I received on Wednesday. Gary proceeded to photograph all the protestors and walked the length of our laid out signs and vehicles along Saddle Rd. photographing as he went. One of the protestors said, are you going to send us your photos and Gary said yes. He then disappeared back inside the base. How strange. This Gary was not forthright when he called me about who he was, nor was he forthright when he came outside the base and photographed us. The fact that he was in plain (not military uniform) but said he worked at PTA was also a bit strange. He did not identify what his position is. Nor did he send us photos as promised.
I will send this to PTA Commander Loreto V. Borce LTC, public
relations head (Big Island Press Club Lava Tube Darkness award
winner) at PTA Michael Donnelly, and Deputy Commander Greg
Flemming with a request for more information on the mysterious
"PTA Gary" and copy of photos he promised. Please let us know who
was that masked man -- the lone ranger? What's his position? Why
did he call me about the Pohakuloa Protest? Why was he taking
photos?
Jim Albertini for Malu Aina
CC copies to the media and public officials.
-- Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a (Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email j...@malu-aina.org Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org10-11:30