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The Thirty Meter Telescope protests are a series of protests and demonstrations that began in April 2015 on the Island of Hawaii in the United States with the choosing of Mauna Kea as the site location for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the most sacred mountain of the Native Hawaiian people. Protests began locally within the state of Hawaii, but went global within weeks after the April 2 arrest of 31 indigenous peoples, aged between 27 to 75 years of age, who had blockaded the roadway to keep construction crews off the summit.

The TMT, a ground-based, large segmented mirror reflecting telescope grew from astronomers' prioritization in 2000 of a thirty-meter telescope to be built within the decade. Mauna Kea was announced as TMT's preferred site in 2009. Opposition to the project began shortly after the announcement of Mauna Kea as the chosen site out of 5 proposals. While opposition against the observatories on Mauna Kea has been ongoing since the first telescope, the University of Hawai'i 88-inch (2.2 m) telescope (UH88), was proposed in 1968, this protest may be the most vocal. The project is expected to be completed by 2024, nearly simultaneously with the 39-meter European Extremely Large Telescope being built in Chile.

Origins

The TMT project is a response to recommendation in 2000 from the US National Academy of Sciences that a thirty-meter telescope be the top priority and be built within the decade. Urgency in construction is due to the competitive nature of science with the European-Extremely Large Telescope also under construction. Mauna Kea's summit is the most sacred of all the mountains in Hawaii to the Native Hawaiian people. Native Hawaiian activists such as Kealoha Pisciotta, a former employee of the Mauna Kea Observatories, have raised concerns over the telescopes on Mauna Kea desecrating their most sacred mountain. Pisciotta, a former telescope systems specialist technician at James Clark Maxwell telescope, is one of several people suing to stop the construction and is also director of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou. As of April, 2015, two separate appeals were still pending.

The 1998 study Mauna Kea Science Reserve and Hale Pohaku Complex Development Plan Update stated that "... nearly all the interviewees and all others who participated in the consultation process (Appendices B and C) called for a moratorium on any further development on the summit of Mauna Kea". Both Native Hawaiians and environmentalists are opposed to any further telescopes. The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources conditionally approved the Mauna Kea site for the TMT in February 2011. While the approval has been challenged, the Board officially approved the site following a hearing on April 12, 2013 despite the opposition in Hawaii to it being built.

Blockade and protests

First Mauna Kea blockade and Palo Alto protests, 2014

On October 7, 2014 the groundbreaking for the telescope was being live streamed via webcam. The proceedings were interrupted when the official caravan encountered several dozen demonstrators picketing and chanting in the middle of the roadway. A planned ceremony at the base of the mountain was scheduled by the group, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, in opposition of the telescope and in a press release dated that day, the organization Sacred Mauna Kea stated: "Native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians will gather for a peaceful protest against the Astronomy industry and the State of Hawaii’s ground-breaking ceremony for a thirty-meter telescope (TMT) on the summit of Mauna Kea." Several members traveled up the mountain and were stopped by police, where they laid down in the road and blocked the caravan. The nonviolent protest did not stop or block any people but when the ceremony for the ground breaking began, protesters interrupted the blessing, stopping the proceedings as well as the groundbreaking.

That same day in California, protesters demonstrated outside the headquarters of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in Palo Alto, CA.

Second Mauna Kea blockade and arrests, 2015

Beginning in late March 2015 demonstrators halted construction crews near the visitors center, again by blocking access of the road to the summit of the mountain. Heavy equipment had already been placed near the site. Daniel Meisenzahl, a spokesman for the University of Hawaii, stated that the 5 tractors trailers of equipment that were moved up the mountain the day before had alerted protesters that began organizing the demonstrations. Kamahana Kealoha of the group Sacred Mauna Kea stated that over 100 demonstrators had traveled up to the summit to camp overnight, to be joined by more protesters in the early morning to blockade crews. On April 2, 2015, 300 protesters were gathered near the visitor's center where 12 people were arrested. 11 more protesters were arrested at the summit. Protesters, ranging in age from 27 to 75 years of age were handcuffed and led away by local police. Among the major concerns of the protest groups is whether the land appraisals were done accurately and that Native Hawaiians were not consulted. When the trucks were finally allowed to pass, protesters followed the procession up the summit. A project spokesman said that work had begun after arrests were made and the road cleared.

Among the arrests was professional surfer and former candidate for mayor of Kauai, Dustin Barca. A number of celebrity activists of Native Hawaiian descent, both local and national, began campaigning over social media, including Game of Thrones star Jason Mamoa who urged Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) to join the protests with him on top of Mauna Kea. Construction was halted for one week at the request of Hawaii state governor David Ige on April 7, 2015 after the protest on Mauna Kea continued and demonstrations began to appear over the state. Project Manager, Gary Sanders stated that TMT agreed to the one week stop for continued dialogue. Kealoha Pisciotta, president of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou viewed the development as positive but said opposition to the project would continue.

Temporary halt

Governor Ige announced that the project was being temporarily postponed until at least April 20, 2015. In response to the growing protests the TMT Corporation's division of Hawaii Community Affairs launched an internet microsite, updating content regularly. The company also took to social media to respond to the opposition's growing momentum by hiring public relations firms to assist as the company's voice in the islands.

Continued local demonstrations

The protests sparked statewide, national as well as international attention to Hawaiian culture, Mauna Kea and the 45-year history of 13 other telescopes on the mountain.

At the University of Hawaii Manoa, hundreds of students lined the streets for blocks and, one by one, they passed the stones from the student taro patch of the university's Center on Hawaiian Studies down the human chain to the lawn in front of the office university president, David Lassner, where the stones were used to build an ahu as a message to the university.

On April 21, 2015, hundreds of protesters filled the streets of Honolulu protesting against the TMT.

See also

• Giant Magellan Telescope
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs

References

1. "31 Arrested On Mauna Kea, Mauna Kea Hui Responds". Big Island Video News. Big Island Video News. April 2, 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
2. A.P. Lobanov; J.A. Zensus; C. Cesarsky (15 February 2007). Exploring the Cosmic Frontier: Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 24. ISBN 978-3-540-39756-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
3. Hubbard, Amy (October 7, 2014). "Monster telescope breaks ground, will offer deepest views of universe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
4. Sabine Hendreschke. Menehune Mana The Spiritual Essence of Hawaii. Sabine Hendreschke. p. 43. GGKEY:PDSF05H9RAT.
5. Martin Gray; Graham Hancock (2007). Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power. Sterling Pub.Company. p. 254. ISBN 978-1-4027-4737-3.
6. Luci Yamamoto; Alan Tarbell (2005). Hawai'i: The Big Island. Lonely Planet. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-74059-691-6.
7. Winona LaDuke (2005). Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming. South End Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-89608-712-5.
8. Worth, Katie (February 20, 2015). "World's Largest Telescope Faces Opposition from Native Hawaiian Protesters". Scientific American, a Division of Nature America, Inc. Scientific American. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
9. Huliau: Time of Change. Kuleana 'Oiwi Press. 1 January 2004. ISBN 978-0-9668220-3-8.
10. Solomon, Molly (April 21, 2015). "Construction Of Giant Telescope In Hawaii Draws Natives' Ire". NPR. National Public Radio.
11. "overview of info". Mauna Kea Science Reserve and Hale Pohaku Complex Development Plan Update:. Retrieved April 20, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
12. "Massive telescope to be built in Hawaii". 3 News NZ. April 15, 2013.
13. "Hearing on Hawaii Thirty Meter Telescope to continue next week - Pacific Business News". Bizjournals.com. 2011-08-19. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
14. ^ Kelleher, Jennifer Sinco (October 7, 2014). "Protesters halt Mauna Kea telescope groundbreaking". staradvertiser.com. Honolulu Star Advertiser. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
15. Sacred Mauna Kea (October 7, 2014). "Press Release: Hawaiians Protest 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea, October 7th". Deep Green Resistance News Service. Deep Green Resistance News Service. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
16. Mai, E. Komo (October 9, 2014). "VIDEO: Full Coverage of Thirty Meter Telescope Disruption". Big Island Video News. Big Island Video News. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
17. Cooper, Jeanne (October 7, 2014). "Peaceful protest in Palo Alto against massive Mauna Kea telescope". SFGATE. SFGATE. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
18. Davis, Chelsea (March 26, 2015). "Thirty Meter Telescope protesters continue to block construction on Mauna Kea". WorldNow and KHNL. KHNL. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
19. "Clash in Hawaii Between Science and Sacred Land". AP/US News and World Report. Associated Press. April 3, 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
20. "Police, TMT Issue Statements on Mass Arrests on Mauna Kea". Big Island Video News. Big Island Video News. April 2, 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
21. Scheuring, Ian (April 6, 2015). "Local celebrities take to social media in Mauna Kea protests". Hawaii News Now. WorldNow and KHNL. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
22. "Amid controversy, construction of telescope in Hawaii halted - US News". Retrieved April 7, 2015.
23. Yoro, Sarah (April 11, 2015). "Thirty Meter Telescope construction delayed". LIN Television Corporation, a Media General company. KHON2. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
24. "Hawaii's Thirty Meter Telescope launches informational microsite online". American City Business Journals. Pacific Business News. April 14, 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
25. Gill, Lorin Eleni (April 16, 2015). "Thirty Meter Telescope project in Hawaii responds to opposition with website, social media". American City Business Journals. Pacific Business news. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
26. Garcia, Nester (April 10, 2015). "Hundreds form chain at UH Manoa to protest Thirty Meter Telescope". LIN Television Corporation, a Media General company. KHON2. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
27. Witze, Alexandra (2015). "Hawaiian telescope project seeks way forward amid protests". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2015.17396. ISSN 1476-4687.

External links

• INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII: Should the Thirty Meter Telescope Be Built? – roundtable discussion (video, aired on April 30, 2015)

• Occupy Wall Street
• 2015 in Hawaii
• 2015 protests
• Internet memes
• Internet-based activism
• Nonviolent occupation
• Nonviolent resistance movements
• Occupy movement in the United States