HONOLULU -- Protestors against Army expansion in Hawaii claimed a victory Thursday night. After two evenings of arrests and not being allowed into public hearings with signs of protest, the Army welcomed demonstrators in.

The Army surprised the crowd by changing its policy on signs in its public hearings.

Thursday night's meeting was again on private property, but this time there were no security guards, no angry demonstrators and no arrests. The Army allowed the protestors to walk right in, signs and all.

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It was an entirely different scene at the Makaha Valley Golf Resort Thursday evening as compared to previous nights of public hearings in Moanalua and Wahiawa. This time the doors were wide open, the mood upbeat, and everyone was welcome inside.

"I think for two nights in a row they saw how determined we were to speak our truth and they weren't going to break our spirit and that was a key element," demonstrator Kyle Kajihiro said.

The Army said it changed its policy after people from the Waianae community approached the Army and asked for a compromise.

"With the partnership and trust we've built with community over the years, we decided it was the right thing to do to work with the community leaders and to allow the signs and protestors in," Maj. Stacy Bathrick said.

Since Tuesday's series of arrests outside the Army public hearings, the military was heavily criticized, even by the governor, for its unwillingness to let the protestors into its meetings with signs.

The demonstrators are against the Army's proposal to bring a Stryker Brigade into Hawaii.

"I'm glad we persevered. It shows that when you have truth and justice behind you and you're determined, you can achieve a lot," Kajihiro said.

Once the demonstrators were inside the hearing, they posted their signs along the wall just as the military posted its displays near the front door. There were no problems or acts of violence by anyone.

"It's great to see everyone has come together for the right reasons to make comments so the Army can continue on with the draft process of the EIS (environmental impact statement)," Bathrick said.

The military said it was pleased to see the turnout of testifiers more than doubled from the first two public hearings. Thursday night's meeting was the third in a series of six.

There is one more on Oahu Tuesday evening at Turtle Bay Resort and then two additional hearings on the Big Island. The military said it will continue to allow signs into its meetings.