Series of demonstrations that began on the Island of Hawaii
Thirty Meter Telescope protests
Part of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement
Native Hawaiian practitioner, Lanakila Mangauil, "protector" Kahookahi Kanuha and others speaking with Mayor Billy Kenoi against the building of more telescopes on Mauna Kea on October 7, 2014
Date
October 7, 2014 – present
Location
Mauna Kea Access Road near Mauna Kea Visitors Center
Concern for indigenous, Native Hawaiian cultural and spiritual rights
Lack of community and native input
Concern over impact to Mauna Kea and groundwater aquifers
Concern for protected species and the environment
Concern for the religious and spiritual significance of Mauna Kea
Goals
End construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea and ban all further development of the Mauna Kea observatories. Begin decommissioning of existing telescopes.
Methods
Blockade
Occupation
Civil disobedience
Picketing
Demonstrations
Internet activism
Petitions
lawsuits
Casualties
Arrested
64[1][2]
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) protests are a series of protests and demonstrations that began on the Island of Hawaii over the choosing of Mauna Kea for the site location of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Mauna Kea is the most sacred dormant volcano of Native Hawaiian religion and culture, and was known to natives as the home to Wākea, the sky god.[3] Protests began locally within the state of Hawaii on October 7, 2014 but went global within weeks of the April 2, 2015 arrest of 31 people who had blockaded the roadway to keep construction crews off the summit.
The TMT, a $1.4 billion[4] 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.[3] 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, built by the University of Hawaii, this protest may be the most vocal. The project was expected to be completed by 2024, nearly simultaneously with the 39-meter Extremely Large Telescope being built in Chile; however, on December 2, 2015, the Supreme Court of Hawaii invalidated the TMT's building permits. The court ruled that due process was not followed. The TMT corporation then removed all construction equipment and vehicles from Mauna Kea, and re-applied for a new permit, meant to respect the Supreme Court's ruling. This was granted on September 28, 2018.[5][6] On October 30, 2018, the Court validated the new construction permit.[7]
The controversy has led to considerable division in the local community with residents choosing support or opposition. Notable native Hawaiian supporters include Peter Apo, sitting trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs,[8] and leading University of Hawaii professor and astronomer the late Dr. Paul Coleman, who in 2015 said "Hawaiians are just so tied to astronomy I cannot, in any stretch of the imagination, think that TMT is something that our ancestors wouldn't just jump on and embrace".[9][10] In July 2019, 300 protestors gathered in support of the TMT project outside the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu.[11][12]
^"31 Arrested On Mauna Kea, Mauna Kea Hui Responds". Big Island Video News. Big Island Video News. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
^Andone, Dakin; Jorgensen, Sarah; Sandoval, Polo (July 21, 2019). "This is why native Hawaiians are protesting the construction of a telescope on Mauna Kea". CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
^ ab"'A new Hawaiian Renaissance': how a telescope protest became a movement". the Guardian. August 17, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
^Murray, Meghan Miner (July 22, 2019). "Why Are Native Hawaiians Protesting Against a Telescope? (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
^"Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources Approves Conservation District Use Permit to Build TMT on Maunakea". September 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
^"Hawai'i BLNR Approves TMT Permit". Big Island Now. September 28, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
^Hawaii top court approves controversial Thirty Meter Telescope BBC News, 2018-10-31.
^Estrellon, April (August 15, 2015). "Pod Squad: The TMT Battle and the Native Hawaiian Leadership Void". CivilBeat. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
^Dickerson, Kelly (October 13, 2015). "The incredible story of an astronomer who struggles to support the instrument that will revolutionize his field but is tearing his community apart". Business Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
^Knapp, Alex (July 18, 2019). "Why Some Native Hawaiians Are Protesting Construction Of The Thirty Meter Telescope". Forbes. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
^Finnerty, Ryan (July 26, 2019). "TMT Supporters Rally at State Capitol, Opponents Assemble Across the Street". Hawaii Public Radio. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
^Hofschneider, Anita (July 30, 2019). "Mauna Kea Protests Leave Observatory Workers Trapped In The Middle". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
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