Archive for June 26th, 2015

Constitutional issues arise atop Mauna Kea

KITV: The issue of whether the Thirty Meter Telescope should be built atop Mauna Kea took a backseat for several hours Thursday morning as some protestors and certain members of the media were allowed to bypass a roadblock. The issue arose when a ranger working for the University of Hawaii allowed a select group of people past the barricade to remove large rocks that had been placed on the summit road by TMT protestors the day before. Although at least one reporter was allowed in with the group, KITV4’s...

Tension continues to grow on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i

Maori TV: Tension continues to grow on Mauna Kea as protesters who were arrested yesterday post bail and return to the forefront of the fight. A fight that has been on-going between native Hawaiians and a company that wants to build a 30 meter high telescope on their sacred mountain. The 700+ protectors gathered near the top of the mountain and blocked the main road leading up to the TMT construction site. Police allowed the blockade to go on for about half an hour before they moved in. But first,...

UH apologizes for delayed media access to Mauna Kea

KITV: What happened on the mountain top Thursday took some state officials by surprise, but according to the state's top lawyer, the decision about access sits squarely at the University of Hawaii. "The University of Hawaii has had the authority under the Mauna Kea management plan to temporarily close the road leading up to mountain for hazardous conditions or safety concerns," said Douglas Chin. Managing Mauna Kea is a sensitive issue for UH. Protestors point to that as impetus for the blockade. But...

Boulders removed from road to Mauna Kea summit, Visitors Center closed indefinitely

Hawaii News: The boulders and rock structures that were found on the gravel road leading to the summit of Mauna Kea were removed Thursday. A statement from Governor Ige's office says The Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM) worked collaboratively with volunteers to ensure the rocks were safely and properly cleared from the roadway. The state continues to assess and monitor the situation to ensure the safety of the people on Mauna Kea. The road has been temporarily closed until further notice. The Mauna Kea...

The Fight Over Mauna Kea

New York Times: A political storm has enveloped the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s tallest mountain. Given the intensity of the forces colliding there, it is hard to see when and how the clouds will lift. The tempest is over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, a $1.4 billion project by an international astronomy consortium. It will be the most powerful telescope yet built on the best stargazing spot on the planet, and surely an immense boon to science. But some Native Hawaiians and their supporters say...

Arrested protesters post bail, return Hawaii mountain

Associated Press: Protesters arrested while preventing construction of a giant telescope posted bail and were returning to the Hawaii mountain they say they're protecting from desecration. Hundreds of protesters who flocked to the Big Island's Mauna Kea on Wednesday successfully prevented workers from reaching the site for the planned $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope. The workers turned their vehicles around when they encountered boulders in the road leading to the site. The governor's office said the road would...