Anti-rail protesters rallied in front of Honolulu Hale Friday, hoping a recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling will be the death knell for the project.

About a hundred people from all over Oahu, and even Molokai, took part in the People's Rally Against Rail.

One week ago, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision requiring the city conduct a full archaeological environmental impact statement before it can be built.

"They should have never proceeded with out the full archaeological survey.  That's what the law said," said Pearl Johnson from the League of Women Voters.

The high court also invalidated the Special Management Area Permit, or SMA, that was approved by the full Honolulu City Council in January 2011.

That permit was key in allowing the project to begin early construction.

Councilman Tom Berg says he believes that decision and time are on the side of rail opponents.  Berg says the SMA is a requisite to the full funding grant agreement which is necessary to rail's future.

"Now that we know the SMA is invalid, they got to go back to this council.  They got to validate that and that's going to push, in my opinion, the full funding agreement into 2013," said Berg.  "So, if Governor Cayetano is in office, he merely doesn't sign this document.  Rail's over."

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation disagrees.  Spokesman Scott Ishikawa says, while they are reviewing the SMA application process, it does not affect the full funding grant agreement timeline.

Opponents are hoping the court decision, and a new mayor, will kill the project.