‘We are not willing to negotiate,’ Thirty Meter Telescope opposition leader vows

MAUNA KEA, Hawaii >> A key leader of the effort to stop construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope says it is clear that neither the state nor Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim has the power to stop the project.

Kaho‘okahi Kanuha vowed Thursday that the opponents who have been blocking Mauna Kea Access Road since July 15 will not allow construction of the $1.4 billion telescope to proceed.

“Again, we call upon TMT, go to the Canary Islands. We are not willing to negotiate. We are not willing to compromise. Compromises have been made over and over and over again for the last 50 years through the mismanagement of Mauna Kea and way beyond,” Kanuha said.

Gov. David Ige this week asked Kim to coordinate the state and county response to the protests. Kanuha spoke Thursday about a reported proposal that Kim made through an unnamed law enforcement official that construction would not proceed if the protesters on Mauna Kea pack up and leave while the two sides talk.

But on Thursday, Kim spokeswoman Janet Snyder said no such offer or proposal was made and that the report was “inaccurate.”

The mayor tried to clarify his role in a written statement Thursday. He said he intends “to work with all sides to find a better way forward for everyone concerned,” and hopes to find common ground and arrive at a peaceful settlement.

Kim said his first important task is to ensure the safe flow of traffic on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, and the safety of both protectors and the general community as they travel on the highway.

“The traffic flow on the Saddle Road, the ingress and egress, is what I’m trying to address. My job is to coordinate the safety of everybody,” the mayor said.

The highway crossing at the base of the Mauna Kea Access Road has been congested at times as demonstrators pass back and forth across the highway, but the highway was closed for only part of one day of the protest after TMT opponents parked or abandoned vehicles that blocked traffic.

The highway reopened July 17 after several hours when the vehicles were towed or moved voluntarily.

An estimated 1,000 TMT opponents continued the demonstration at the intersection of Mauna Kea Access Road on Thursday, marking the 11th consecutive day of protests there. Activists at the site attended improvised classes on Hawaiian culture and language, and joined in chants and prayers throughout the day.

There are now 13 observatories on and around the summit of Mauna Kea, and the protesters oppose any further construction on the mountain, which many Hawaiians consider sacred.

“We will not allow TMT vehicles up. We will continue to monitor the road and ensure that Mauna Kea remains safe from further desecration,” Kanuha said.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who represents Hawaii County in Congress, urged Ige on Thursday to deactivate about 80 Hawaii National Guard troops who were summoned to support the effort to move construction equipment to the summit of Mauna Kea to begin work on the TMT.

Gabbard also urged Ige to withdraw the emergency proclamation he issued last week in connection with the protests, and to delay the project.

“While the legal process has determined that the Thirty Meter Telescope project may proceed, there are spiritual and cultural issues that have not been addressed,” Gabbard wrote. “This is about something much greater than one telescope project — it has to do with longstanding history on Mauna Kea, broken promises, desecration of sacred land and disrespect for native culture.”

“No show of force can overcome the power of aloha aina spanning multiple generations chaining themselves to cattle guards, kupuna prepared to be arrested as many times as it takes, and thousands of protectors holding strong to kapu aloha keeping the entire situation peaceful,” Gabbard wrote.

She also said the state erred by authorizing the TMT project to move forward before the state has removed telescopes on Mauna Kea that are slated for decommissioning.