Many In Hawaiʻi Unfazed by #BoycottHawaii Trending on Twitter

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Doug Chin preparing for an interview with MSNBC to discuss the travel ban court victory. Chin announced last week that Hawaiʻi filed a motion for a temporary restraining order in its federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump. PC: Hawaii AG Twitter feed. 3.16.17.

US District Court Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaiʻi on Wednesday issued a nationwide stay, temporarily preventing the Trump Administration’s travel ban from going into effect. But the win in court sparked a flood of social media hashtags on twitter to #BoycottHawaii.

While travel ban supporters went viral with their cause, many responding from Hawaiʻi seem unfazed by the threat, and have even been welcoming of the challenge.

E.Tong tweeted “Why couldn’t #BoycottHawaii have been trending in 1893?” referencing the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government.

On the same theme, SAB tweeted “LOL How can you boycott something that you stole #BoycottHawaii.”

Travel ban supporters jumped on the hashtag, threatening to cancel vacations to Hawaiʻi, a warning that they perhaps did not expect to be embraced by opponents to the executive order.

One tweeted read: “#BoycottHawaii Best news I’ve heard all day! Fewer narrow minded people littering our beaches and mocking our traditions.”

KHON2 reports that even tourism officials are among those unfazed by the viral hashtag.  HTA Chairman chairman Rick Fried told KHON2 that people have a right to express their opinion. He told the media outlet, “We don’t think people that are at all thoughtful and like to come to Hawaiʻi for the things that we offer will be affected in the slightest.”

US Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaiʻi also tweeted: “BoycottHawaii is the dumbest thing on the internet.  That is all #ekomomai.”

The legal battle is expected wage on with the stay on the ban remaining in place until a full trial can be held or until further action is taken in a higher court.