10,000 Mark Hawaiian Monarchy’s End

More than 10,000 native Hawaiians converged on Honolulu’s Iolani Palace on Sunday in a solemn protest march marking the 100th anniversary of the U.S.-backed overthrow of the islands’ last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani.

Smaller ceremonies were under way throughout the Pacific island chain in a sign of growing support for local autonomy and even outright secession from the United States.

Under orders of Gov. John Waihee, the Hawaiian state flag was the only banner allowed to fly over state buildings during the observance of Sunday’s centennial. Waihee, the state’s first governor of Hawaiian ancestry, last week ordered the Stars and Stripes hauled down for five days.

In announcing his decision, Waihee said it is important “to remember the events 100 years ago that stole a nation and to dedicate ourselves to right that wrong.”