A group calling itself the Hawaiian Kingdom Government blocked access to the Iolani Palace grounds for eight hours on Wednesday, turning away non-Hawaiians.

The protestors put up no trespassing signs on the gates and delivered a message to palace officials claiming the grounds.

"We're here today because it is time for the Hawaiian Kingdom Government to take its rightful place as the rightful government here. This was the original seat of government as of 1892," said Mahealani Kahau of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government.

The protest left 4th graders from DeSilva Elementary on the Big Island disappointed.

"This is the first time I've seen in the 14, 15 years that I've seen security in front of the gates and the gates were closed and we figured they must have been open already but that's when we were told we weren't going to be allowed on the ground," said Darryl Yagi, a teacher at DeSilva Elementary.

The students were later allowed onto the property but they couldn't go into the palace.

"I just hope we can resolve this very peacefully and we can come to an understanding that everybody's satisfied on," said state senator J. Kalani English who is Native Hawaiian.

"We have to take a stand on who we are and if they have to physically take us, we're not going to fight them. We're gonna go out with the pride of who we are," said Kahau.

Iolani Palace officials issued a statement that said blocking public access to the palace is wrong, and that the palace was not the original seat of government. It was the royal residence.

Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the gates were opened but protestors vowed to return to the property.

"Today was a very important day for us to let people know that the Hawaiian Kingdom government is here. This is our seat of government. It will always be our seat of government and we will function as the lawful seat of government," Kahau said.

The protestors plan to be back Thursday but they said they will leave the gates open.

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