From September 20 onwards, several beaches and seaside locations were closed off to visitors because of Hurricane Polo, the second-most intense Pacific hurricane on record.
Days before it made landfall on the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico on September 29, a North Carolina tourist named Nuri Abdhullah blatantly broke the rule in Hawaii.
Ignoring several warning signs, Nuri walked to a beach in Waiʻānapanapa State Park in Hana, Maui, and filmed herself frolicking in the sand and sea.
Her actions sparked a massive backlash from Hana residents as well as the internet.
“This is why everyone hates tourists! Don’t be that person,” one user commented.
TikToker Nuri Abdulluha’s “trespassing” on a Hawaii beach could’ve risked her life
On September 26, Nuri Abdullah shared a TikTok video of herself wearing a pink one-piece swimsuit and sneakers, noting in the caption that it was her birthday trip.
In the 33-second clip, she stood at the top of a stairway leading down to a beach in Hana. In front of her, blocking the stairway entrance, was a sign that read, “Beach and hiking trails closed.”
“You see this? Guess what? I don’t care. I’m gonna go down anyway,” she says and starts walking down the stairs.
At the beach, she picks up a few “beautiful black” rocks and shows them to the camera. Then, she grabs a handful of sand and says, “Black sand. It has minerals and s**t.”
She then walks into the water, still wearing her shoes, and stands in the waves. No one else was at the beach except Nuri.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) later told the press that the park was closed because of dangerous storm conditions, including heavy winds, rain, possible flash flooding, falling debris, and dangerous surf.
“When we look at the video here, clearly she’s trespassing,” said DLNR spokesperson Andrew Laurence.
“The park was closed. That means the gate at the road was locked, and then she went past the two signs that said that the area was closed. She could have d**d before anybody could get to her.”
Nuri was blasted for showing “ignorance and disrespect” as a tourist
Netizens were immediately furious with Nuri’s “entitled behavior” in the video, which has since amassed nearly 253,000 views.
“Then they wonder why Hawaii people don’t like tourists,” one said. Another wrote, “The level of ignorance and disrespect by people is unreal.”
A third pointed out, “If something happened to you, there would be no help around and barely any service.”
@synnerscity We don’t care if it’s closed.. 😒 it’s my birthday Hawaii #maui #hawaii #blacksandbeach #beach #birthday ♬ original sound – SYN CITY نور 🪶
Giselle Davidson, a Hana resident, told Hawaii News Now, “There’s a certain level of respect anybody should have when visiting that space. Unfortunately, in this case, it was pretty clear that she was trying to get attention and she was breaking the law.”
“We love for people to visit Hana in a respectful way. We want to share this beauty with people. We want people to love it as much as we do. But respect is key to that. And that goes for anywhere you travel.”
Early Hawaiians used the land where Waiʻānapanapa State Park now stands to cultivate crops like taro and sweet potato.
The area is now dotted with ancient burial grounds, temple ruins, and sacred sites for religious ceremonies.
In general, nature is highly revered in Hawaiian culture, with the locals considering themselves its keepers and protectors.
Netizens did not buy Nuri’s apology as she shared what fueled her actions
After the public outrage, Nuri took to TikTok to apologize, but many thought it was “weak” and that she didn’t really mean it.
“To all the Hawaii natives, I do want to apologize for disrespecting your land and for ignoring the sign. To all the people who are being disrespectful, rude, and sending me threats, you guys can go to hell,” she said.
“What kind of apology is this?” one dumbfounded follower asked. Another said, “She’s only apologizing because she doesn’t want to pay a fine.”
@synnerscity I was wrong, and I take accountability. I’m sorry for disrespecting Hawaiʻi and the people who call it home. To everyone this is a lesson to us all on how to go about things, you don’t have to be rude🤍🌺 #Hawaii #Maui #BlackSandBeach #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – SYN CITY نور 🪶
“Fine her. Make an example of her. Send her to jail,” a third commented.
For a violation like hers, the state’s penalty ranges from $500-$2,000 in fines to about a month in jail.
Speaking with Hawaii News Now, Nuri said she saved about $10,000 for the trip and considered it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Hawaii.
“When I saw the sign and acknowledged it, I didn’t mean any disrespect by crossing the lines. I didn’t know I was disrespecting the land or its people. I just simply wanted to go,” she said, adding that she took responsibility for breaking the rule.
“You never know what lands are sacred,” she continued. “So I would say to all the tourists, do not go on the beach if there’s a closed sign. Respect the signs… It was a mistake that I did not intend for it to blow up this big.”
“People are so entitled,” one angry netizen commented
