Hawaiian protesters seek to block telescope project but state vows to
proceed
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[July 18, 2019]
By Steve Gorman
(Reuters) - Protesters led by a group of
native Hawaiian elders delayed the start of construction on Wednesday
for a giant new telescope atop Hawaii's tallest mountain, but state
officials began making arrests and vowed the project would ultimately
proceed.
Demonstrators formed a human blockade for a third straight day of an
access road leading to an area they consider sacred ground at the summit
of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on Hawaii's Big Island and site of the
planned $1.4 billion observatory.
Astronomers consider the Mauna Kea summit, already dotted with
telescopes, one of the world's best places for viewing the cosmos.
Native Hawaiians say the project will disturb holy ground crucial to
their connection with ancestors and the heavens.
Authorities began arresting protesters who refused to stop blocking the
road on Wednesday morning, said Dan Dennison, a spokesman for the state
Department of Land and Natural Resources. He said some demonstrators
opted to receive a citation instead, so long as they promised to appear
in court.
Three of those arrested were taken from the scene by ambulance after
complaining of "what appeared to be minor medical problems," Dennison
told reporters in a briefing carried on Hawaiian television.
A throng of protesters, many holding Hawaii state flags upside down,
were visible in the background.
Dennison said he did not immediately know how many people were arrested
or what charges they faced. Another state official, speaking to Reuters
on condition of anonymity, said roughly 30 were taken into custody.
A few hundred activists have participated in the protests led by a group
of Native Hawaiian elders, or kupuna, according to media reports.
"We are here on the slopes of Mauna Kea doing what is necessary to
protect our land, our sacred space," protest organizer Andrew Perez told
the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Dennison said the standoff had so far been peaceful, with police and
protesters alike "absolutely respectful" of one another. "Some of the
people arrested were actually related to some of the officers," he said.
Construction crews had planned to begin moving heavy equipment up the
access road on Wednesday to break ground on the site of the Thirty Meter
Telescope (TMT), expected to be one of the world's most advanced.
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Protesterers led by native Hawaiian elders take part in a protest
against the building of a giant new telescope on what they
considered sacred ground at the summit of Mauna Kea volcano, in
Mauna Kea, Hawaii, U.S. in this still image taken from a July 17,
2019 video. Ryan Finnerty/Hawaii Public Radio via REUTERS
"Right now, there's nothing happening on top of the mountain at
all," Dennison said. Construction vehicles would be kept off the
road "until all the activity behind us is secured and people are
well off the road," he said.
He declined to speculate how long that would take but said state
officials, including Governor David Ige, were "totally committed to
seeing this project move forward."
The peak of Mauna Kea, which stands 13,800 feet (4,205 meters) tall,
is not only the highest point in Hawaii but ranks as the world's
tallest mountain as measured from base to summit. The summit of
Mount Everest in the Himalayas is the highest point on Earth,
standing 29,035 feet above sea level.
The consortium behind the TMT observatory includes astronomers from
the California Institute of Technology, as well as Japan, India and
Canada.
Opponents have fought the telescope for years but the way was
cleared for construction to start after the state Supreme Court
upheld the project's permit last October.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Tait)
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