Molokai Ranch was bought by Hong Kong investment firm Guoco Group in 2005. It was abandoned in 2008 when plans to develop luxury properties on the shoreline were met with opposition Activists and non-profit organizations have made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to buy back the land for local access
GettyOne Saturday in May, a group of Molokai, Hawaii, residents met at the fence to a private ranch, cut the lock, and walked inside. Carrying flags and singing native songs, the 100-plus residents marched about a mile to the beach, where one knelt and performed a ritual blessing. Then they sat for several hours, protesting the private company that had blocked off access to what the locals claim is a historic site—and theirs by law.“We’re walking for our young people so they can go hunting and f