HILO >> The Mauna Kea visitor center reopened Friday after being closed for more than a month during protests about the construction atop the mountain.

When the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station opened its doors again, opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope were still camped out across the street, reported the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

University of Hawaii officials shut down the visitor station on June 25, saying resources and staff were strained. That was a day after protesters used rocks to block construction vehicles bound for the mountain’s peak.

Seven protesters were arrested last week when police and Department of Land and Natural Resources officials raided the camp to enforce a new emergency rule restricting overnight access to the mountain. But protesters, who say they are protecting a mountain sacred to Native Hawaiians, were not deterred and continue to stay overnight.

TMT opponents say the camp is being used a spiritual site to carry out cultural practices. Protest leader Lakea Trask said the campsite has been kept small to limit its impact.

Natural resources department Director Suzanne Case spoke briefly with protesters while picking up trash in the area. First Deputy Kekoa Kaluhiwa joined her during the visit.

"This was simply a spontaneous goodwill gesture while they were on the Big Island and had a bit of time," said department spokesman Dan Dennison. He said the department hasn’t taken any additional enforcement actions.

Protesters appreciated the gesture and offered officials coffee, said Trask.

"I think their takeaway was we’re not planning to leave," he said. "We’re not going anywhere. We’re staying put, and we’re seeing this thing through because our mountain requires it."