Why Native Hawaiians are protesting the construction of a Thirty Meter Telescope | Sinchi Foundation

24.7.19

Why Native Hawaiians are protesting the construction of a Thirty Meter Telescope | Sinchi Foundation: by Inge van Schooneveld
Since July 15th, news outlets around the world have covered the ongoing protests of around 1,000 Native Hawaiians at mount Mauna Kea, stressing the indigenous claims to the mountain and the planned construction of a 30 meter telescope that is not in line with these claims.

The protests for the mountain have been going on for many years since the initial plans for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) were drawn. On June 22nd of this year Hawaiian governor David Ige issued a notice allowing the construction of the project. This issue followed the defeat of a legal challenge that began in 2015, but the indigenous struggle to protect Mauna Kea dates back as far as 1964 when the first (smaller) telescopes were erected. The building of this TMT was set to commence last Monday, but the road was non-violently blocked by protestors, preventing construction equipment from being transported up the mountain. In response, 33 protestors have since been arrested, amongst which 20 elders.