With battle axes and swords US activists celebrate relaxation of gun laws in Hawaii

The previously strict gun laws in Hawaii have been relaxed since May. Gun advocates now demonstratively parade through Waikiki with battle axes or spears. Not everyone is happy about this.

Reaching for keys, a cell phone and perhaps a cap on an evening stroll is normal. In Andrew Roberts' case, a battle axe was added to the mix a few months ago. For the chairman of the Hawaii Firearms Association, it's a statement - and a tool to start a conversation about gun laws.

He is a "true believer in the Second Amendment", says Roberts, referring to the clause that defends the right to bear arms. When he is out and about with a halberd or battle axe, he wants to raise awareness of rights. "On an average evening walk, I'll probably get stopped two or three times and then have a conversation about gun laws in Hawaii," Roberts explains.

Court ruling led to a U-turn

He has been doing his rounds like this since May - ever since Hawaii relaxed its strict gun laws in response to a decision by the US Supreme Court. According to the ruling by the Supreme Court in Washington in 2022, Americans have the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. Hawaii responded this year with a law that generally allows the open carrying of dangerous or even deadly weapons in public.

Previously, anyone found with such a weapon could be arrested immediately. Hawaii's regulations were among the strictest in the country.

Halberd and samurai swords

Andrew Roberts brings his halberd to the meeting of his activist group in Waikiki's Kapiolani Park. Others come with samurai swords, one has a butterfly knife, and a wooden Scottish sword dangles from the hip of a man in a red kilt. The group has come together to march through Waikiki in celebration of Hawaii's new gun laws.

The activists are accompanied by police as they march along Kalakaua Avenue by the sea. Some tourists look twice, but most seem unimpressed by the armed men with US flags.

"No one seemed particularly shocked," says Roberts. "It's just an opportunity to talk to people about what's going on in Hawaii, to talk about Second Amendment rights."

But the new law is by no means a carte blanche to carry guns in public, Hawaii legal authorities emphasize. "The idea that you can simply carry guns how and where you want is simply not accurate," a statement from the state's Department of Justice said. There are numerous existing laws and regulations that govern the use and possession of guns. These would continue to be enforced. For example, the concealed carrying of weapons is still prohibited.

"Cultural attitude does not belong to Hawaii"

Nevertheless, the loosening of regulations has also met with incomprehension and resistance from the public. Even if clubs or knives are perhaps not as dangerous as firearms, they do not belong on the streets, says Chris Marvin from the Everytown for Gun Safety organization, which campaigns against gun violence.

"I can certainly understand the self-defense argument," he explains. "But the cultural attitude we're starting to adopt with this is not part of Hawaii." With such laws, "we're becoming more and more like the mainland, which is full of aggressive, belligerent people who are too quick to resort to violence," Marvin fears.

For some, however, the ability to openly display traditional weapons is less about insisting on rights or the option of self-defense. They see it as an expression of tradition and access to the culture of the islands. Michael Rice, for example, says that working with traditional weapons such as the wooden spear that his uncle made is a connection to his Hawaiian roots. He also traveled to the march in Waikiki with a spear. "I don't often have the opportunity to express my culture," says Rice.

He can now practice and teach with weapons in public parks, says Filipino martial arts teacher Burton Richardson, welcoming the relaxation and emphasizing: "In the Philippines, the tradition of knife, stick and sword fighting is an important part of the culture."

Um Kai, who makes traditional Hawaiian weapons such as spears, daggers and clubs, primarily uses them for ceremonies. However, he finds them rather impractical for defending himself against attacks in everyday life: "I wouldn't carry a shark-toothed club around with me every day for self-defense."

dpa