Thirty Meter Telescope demonstrations spark political unease

For developers of the Thirty Meter Telescope, who spent a decade fending off legal challenges and wading through Hawaii’s labyrinthine approval processes, the greatest risk to their project may be upon them as hundreds of opponents of their telescope continue to flock to the base of Mauna Kea to stop construction and politicians begin to express unease.

On Friday, which marked Day 5 of protests, Gov. David Ige said the state was not poised to sweep project opponents from their encampment along Mauna Kea Access Road, which had been widely rumored. Lt. Gov. Josh Green took to social media to say that no project is worth damaging Hawaii’s social fabric. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and state Sen. Kai Kahele (D, Hilo) called for a moratorium on construction, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont tweeted out his solidarity with the Native Hawaiian demonstrators.

It’s been less than a week since the state tried to initiate construction, and Ige has remained firm in his commitment to seeing the project proceed. But the prospect of having to forcefully remove peaceful demonstrators from a mountain they believe is sacred, with the fallout that would likely entail, has created a thorny political dilemma.

Adding to the pressure, more than 100 religious leaders from Hawaii and abroad have signed on to a statement of solidarity with Native Hawaiians “protecting sacred Mauna Kea.”

The situation has frustrated project supporters, many of whom hoped the state would be more aggressive in clearing protesters from Mauna Kea Access Road so construction crews can make their way up the mountain with their equipment and personnel.

Friday started with a tweet from Democratic presidential contender Sanders, who said, “We must guarantee native people’s right to self- determination and their right to protest. I stand with Native Hawaiians who are peacefully demonstrating to protect their sacred mountain of Mauna Kea.”

Kahele, who hopes to win Gabbard’s congressional seat next year, re-tweeted it, writing, “Mahalo to Senator @Bernie Sanders for standing with my Native Hawaiian brothers and sisters.”

Kahele had sent a letter to Ige on Thursday asking the governor for an immediate 60-day moratorium on construction, writing that he was increasingly apprehensive the state was not fully prepared for the situation on Mauna Kea.

Kahele also offered to help facilitate hooponopono discussions between the Ige administration and leaders of the TMT opposition. Hooponopono is a Hawaiian process of conflict resolution that aims to heal relationships.

“If culture and astronomy are to co-exist on Maunakea in the future, meaningful conversations about management, stewardship, access, revenue and decommissioning need to occur,” he wrote. “The status quo is unfortunately unacceptable.

“The mountain is not in balance, and so our community is not at peace.”

Sanders, who has had a close political relationship with Gabbard, deleted his tweet later in the afternoon. It’s not clear why. His press staff did not respond to requests to comment.

Gabbard, who has been criticized throughout the week by telescope opponents for not standing with them at Mauna Kea or commenting on the situation, subsequently issued her own statement calling for a delay in construction and for hooponopono.

“The materialistic way that developers and corporations are viewing Mauna Kea — ignoring the spiritual significance and relationship many Native Hawaiians have with the mauna — is at the heart of the problem,” Gabbard said in a video distributed to media and posted on Twitter.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono released a statement expressing concern about the safety of the demonstrators and deferring to their request that they be referred to as protectors of the mountain, rather than protesters. But she also said she respected the thorough regulatory and legal review the project had gone through.

“Like everyone in Hawaii, I am concerned for the safety of the protectors — including kupuna — who are exercising their constitutional right to peacefully protest at Maunakea,” wrote Hirono.

Hawaii Congressman Ed Case was the most unequivocal in his support for the telescope, saying in a statement, “I support the continuation of world-class astronomy on Mauna Kea, including completion of the TMT, together with the commitment to the removal of five current telescopes and to broader community engagement.”

Ige has been reluctant to this point to give the go-ahead for the mass arrests that would likely be required to clear the road to the construction site. But on Friday afternoon he signaled he was not backing off.

“We have been very patient with all those on Mauna Kea, but we will continue to enforce the law,” he said during a news conference.