Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, July 2, 2015
Telescope Protesters Vacate Camp After Bathrooms Closed
By News Release @ 3:03 PM :: 7525 Views :: Greenmail, Higher Education, OHA

PDF: Statement by Attorney General

“We respect those who choose to exercise their First Amendment rights within the boundaries of the law. What the State cannot allow is for people to take the law into their own hands. Our courts are the proper place for people to seek legal remedies.

Mauna Kea is a protected conservation district, forest reserve and hunting area. While we appreciate the effort of volunteers who helped clean up the summit road, the actions of certain individuals in the past week led to the University of Hawaii’s closure of the road. Deliberately building a rock wall in the middle of a road without warning threatens public safety. Purposely placing boulders in a road could get someone killed. Commercial activities and camping in this protected area without a permit are against State regulations. This is not a statement against the content of the protest, but the conduct.

I am working with the Governor, the University of Hawaii, and the departments of land and natural resources and public safety and will take all lawful steps to see the road re-opened with safe access to all.”

  *   *   *   *   *

Excerpts from Protesters' Statement:

“Yesterday we decided to break down what some would consider to be a campsite. Although we have said from the very beginning that we are not on the mountain camping. We are on the mauna to protect it, and protection at this time requires constant vigilance.”

“Our presence on the mauna will remain. We are simply going into a time of ho’omalu. To reflect, re-strategize, reform, re-energize, rebuild and reorganize. We are as committed as ever to protecting Mauna a Wakea from desecration.”

“It is unclear to us the reason for the continued closure of the road leading up the summit, but it is not because of anything done by the protectors. Employees of the existing telescopes on Mauna a Wakea as well as protectors have been able to access the summit safely without any complications on a daily basis since then.”

“Hundreds of tourists continue to access Muana a Wakea on a daily basis without any bathroom facilities. This, I believe, should be a concern for public health and sanitation. Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to malama and care for the numerous malahini who have accessed our mauna daily.”

“For TMT, there’s two things that are very important to them: time and money. We’re taking away their time and they’re losing money. One-point-four billion dollars is a lot of money, but it’s still $1.4 billion. It will run out eventually.  It’s a long process. We do not expect to beat them in one day, we don’t expect to beat them in one week, one month, maybe not one year… but again, our commitment to aloha aina, our commitment to protecting Mauna a Wakea, is far superior to any amount of money.”

KHON: Time and Money

As Explained: Telescope: For OHA, it’s all About the Rent Money

  *   *   *   *   *

VIDEO of Protesters News Conference:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT