Lt. Gov. Green says he is facing death threats, harassment from anti-vaccine protesters

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Lt. Gov. Josh Green said he is receiving death threats and harassment from anti-vaccine protesters, including a number who have staged demonstrations outside his condo.

Green said the attacks are crossing the line.

“I absolutely support people’s rights to freedom of speech and to gather. However, they follow me and make death threats and film me through windows,” said Green.

“I think we’ll leave that for other people to judge.”

The protesters have also put up posters on the sidewalks outside Green’s Honolulu apartment building with his face, the word “fraud,” and racist terms describing his religion.

“That gives you an idea who they are, what they’re like as people,” said Green.

Some critics have also posted videos of Green that have drawn threats from commenters.

One of the latest videos showed an activist following Green and his security detail to his SUV, yelling comments and questions to him as he heads home.

“When one is going home after having dinner and people are threatening you, of course that’s not the time to talk to them,” he said.

When he gets home, protesters are often outside to greet him.

“You have individuals yelling hate speech toward me, shining lights into my apartment and the apartments around me, my neighbors.”

Another video circulating online was posted by critics, who said they busted Green without a mask at a restaurant Tuesday night.

Green said it was a campaign dinner that followed the governor’s mandate on limiting gatherings to 10 people indoors.

“I had a private dinner for a total of 10 people, including myself, and again they were all vaccinated, but unfortunately people right now are following me everywhere I go,” said Green.

Green, who said he’s been working 18-hour days lately as the lieutenant governor and as an emergency room physician, is getting fed up with the harassment.

“I know that there are going to be people attacking me because they’re very anti-vaccination, or they don’t appreciate having to wear masks. But I’m going to keep doing my job as lieutenant governor and I will also make sure I follow the rules.”

One of the groups that has been protesting Green and the state’s COVID mandates, the Aloha Freedom Coalition, said it would comment Thursday.

Green said some of the threats are being passed on to local law enforcement for further investigation.

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