New petition demanding Mark Zuckerberg stop ‘colonizing’ Hawaii garners over 441,000 signatures after organizers claim Facebook billionaire is ‘suing natives to build a mansion on their land’
- A Change.org petition has accused Mark Zuckerberg of ‘colonizing’ Kauai
- Organizers claim Facebook CEO is suing natives to build a mansion on their land
- It is believed to be in reference to a now-tossed 2017 ‘quiet title’ lawsuit Zuckerberg launched seeking the owners of plots of land bordering his estate
- Spokesperson for Zuckerberg said the ‘premise of the petition is false’
A new petition is calling on Mark Zuckerberg to stop ‘colonizing’ the Hawaiian island of Kauai, claiming the Facebook CEO is suing natives in order to build a mansion on their land.
The Change.org campaign was launched last week and has since garnered more than 444,000 signatures.
Organizers have accused the billionaire – ‘the sixth richest man in the world’ – of trying to boot locals off the land to make room for his vacation home.
Reps for Zuckerberg have responded to the campaign saying the ‘premise of the petition is false.’
A petition accusing Mark Zuckerberg of ‘colonizing’ the Hawaiian island of Kauai, has amassed more than 444,000 signatures since its launch last week
The billionaire Facebook CEO and his wife Priscilla Chan acquired a 700-plus acre property for $200million in Kauai back in 2014 and had filed ‘quiet title’ lawsuits to identify the owners of several plots of land bordering their estate
The petition states: ‘Hawaiians are already mistreated enough as is. We need to let them have this. Their land is important to them. He’s building a mansion to what? Live in Kauai for two months out of the year? This is inhuman. It is sick. He needs to be stopped.
‘There are plenty of open spaces no one has claimed. Yet he has to pick a place where people are trying to make a living and support their families? It’s disgusting. Don’t let the privileged steal things that don’t belong to them any longer.
‘If you sign this petition, you could potentially save lives and families. Don’t stay silent about this just because he’s rich. The rich have enough already. They’re greedy.
‘This is greedy. He has ten homes already. INCLUDING surrounding properties to insure his privacy. He has enough. Like this is ridiculous,’ it continues.
Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan acquired a 700-plus acre property for $200million in Kauai back in 2014.
Pilaa Beach (pictured) is below hillside and ridge top land owned by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, near Kilauea on the north shore of Kauai in Hawaii
Pictured: Aerial photos of the land Zuckerberg purchased
Supporters of the campaign have accused Zuckerberg of ‘colonizing’ the area despite the suit being dropped years ago
The petition is believed to be in reference to Zuckerberg’s quiet title lawsuit in 2017 that sought identify owners of several plots of land bordering their home so that they could expand their estate.
The land had been granted to natives in the mid-19th century, and because many of them died without wills, the lots now have hundreds of owners.
The move drew outrage among island residents and other members of the public, with many accusing Zuckerberg of stealing from native people.
Zuckerberg later dropped the lawsuit following the backlash and wrote an op-ed in The Garden Island promising to ‘find a better approach.’
A spokesperson denied the tech entrepreneur was trying to oust Hawaiian locals.
‘Mark is not suing native Hawaiians and no one has been forced off of the land. At the beginning of 2017, Mark withdrew as a plaintiff from the process to clear title on the land he purchased in Kauai,’ a spokesperson told Newsweek.
‘Before Mark acquired the land, it was set to be subdivided by a commercial developer and built into 80 homes. Instead, the property is being used as a working ranch and family retreat, designed in partnership with local families and experts to help create and maintain sustainable agriculture activities while preserving its natural beauty and protecting native wildlife.
‘Portions of the land are leased to local farmers and other portions are set aside as protective areas for endangered native species. The buildings on the land will cover about 1 percent of the land or less.
‘Beyond the ranch, Mark and Priscilla have made commitments to Kauai charitable organizations that help to improve the island’s education and health care systems, promote conservation and help to promote efforts to recover from flooding and COVID-19,’ the statement said.