Mauna Kea Access Road remained closed Wednesday evening after opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope again halted construction of the $1.4 billion observatory following a highly coordinated protest.
About 300 protesters used their bodies and large rocks to prevent construction crews from traveling more than a mile past the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station, and about a dozen continued to block access above Hale Pohaku after the group claimed victory for the day.
Twelve arrests were made by Hawaii County police and state Department of Land and Natural Resources conservation officers. Some of the officers wore ti leaf lei given to them by protesters.
Mike McCartney, Gov. David Ige’s chief of staff, said in a press release that construction of the state-of-the-art telescope will remain on hold until further notice. The project faced a nearly three-month timeout following arrests of 31 protesters April 2.
McCartney said the arrests Wednesday were unfortunate but acknowledged that protesters have a right to peacefully assemble. Ige was in Washington, D.C., for an energy forum.
“We are disappointed and concerned that large boulders were found in the roadway leading to the summit of Mauna Kea,” McCartney said. “This action is a serious and significant safety hazard and could put people at risk.
“Because of this, we are making an assessment to determine how to proceed.”
McCartney said the road will be cleared of obstructions today.
Dan Meisenzahl, a spokesman for University of Hawaii, which manages the Mauna Kea Access Road and Mauna Kea Science Reserve, said protesters later pushed aside boulders covering 2 miles of the access road but kept three rock walls in place about 3 miles past the visitor center.
The road above Hale Pohaku was officially closed Wednesday evening after TMT security staff and the remaining protesters came down, he said.
Reached by phone, protest organizer Kahookahi Kanuha, who was among those arrested, said he tried to put a stop to rocks being placed on the road when he received word about it.
“That’s a strategy for a different time,” he said.
Protesters had planned to avoid arrests until they reached the summit.
Kanuha said he was on his way back up the mountain after posting bail.
The DLNR officers were escorting five construction vehicles for the TMT project earlier that day, and agreed to turn around at 12:45 p.m. after inching up the road between roadblocks for five hours. The workers were attempting to reach the site at 13,150 feet above sea level.
Meisenzahl said there were no reports of tourists or telescope operators being stuck on the mountain since the roadblocks were put in place early in the day.
Operations at the 13 telescopes on the mountain were expected to be disrupted since crews couldn’t reach the summit, though some can operate remotely, he said.
Wednesday’s protest started before sunrise at the visitor center and remained peaceful, despite several tense moments with DLNR officers attempting to clear the road.
About 50 Hawaii County and DLNR officers were present. The small group of officers appeared to struggle for much of the day to manage the crowd, and their numerous warnings usually resulted in protesters moving only a few steps back at a time.
The confrontation initially ended with an emotional statement from DLNR branch chief Lino Kamakau to the protesters.
“From myself, I apologize to you guys,” he said, his eyes full of tears and his voice cracking with emotion. “I hope you guys understand what I got to do. You may not accept it. I got to do my job. I’m really, really sorry. Our No. 1 thing right now is public safety, and we’re not going up (the mountain).”
The protesters consisted mostly of Native Hawaiians who view the mountain as a sacred place.
TMT opponent Keouakupuapaika Laninui Maele said it was hard to see Hawaiians arresting Hawaiians.
“They always send kanaka to arrest kanaka people,” he said. “This is a shame.
“… They’re indoctrinated so badly they don’t know their own culture, they don’t know their own language, because if they did, they would not be doing this.”
Before heading down the mountain, First Deputy DLNR Director Kekoa Kaluhiwa thanked protesters for their aloha and asked that any hewa, or wrongdoing, by his officers be forgiven.
Mike Manu, originally from New Zealand and waving a national Maori flag, said taking a stand against the TMT is important because cultures around the world are constantly being forced to compromise, while corporations and big money get their way.
“Astronomy like this is a small group of people with fixed interests,” he said.
TMT representatives couldn’t be reached for comment by press time.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Email Chris D’Angelo at cdangelo@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
