Police arrested 23 people for the stunt, in which members of the group calling itself the Kingdom of Hawaii on Friday locked the palace gates, entered the palace and attempted to sit their leader on the throne. No artifacts in the palace were damaged or stolen, according to palace officials. Three locks, including those securing the throne room, were damaged. The group also broke into a barracks building near the palace and raised a flag on the barracks' flagpole. During the takeover attempt, eight palace employees locked themselves in the palace and a nearby administrative building.
The group's leader, 67-year-old James Kimo Akahi of Haiku, claims he's the rightful king of the islands. He said he planned to chain himself to the throne but couldn't find it because he had never been inside the palace before Friday, which also marked the 49th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood.
The group's leader, 67-year-old James Kimo Akahi of Haiku, claims he's the rightful king of the islands. He said he planned to chain himself to the throne but couldn't find it because he had never been inside the palace before Friday, which also marked the 49th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood.