TELESCOPE ON MAUNA KEA
PROTESTERS REMAIN ON THE
MOUNTAIN...BUT TODAY WAS A MUCH
LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES...THE
CROWD WAS SO LARGE YESTERDAY
THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKED OFF
AND LEFT THE AREA.
AND OFFICIALS SAY NO MORE
ARRESTS WILL BE MADE UNLESS
PEOPLE BLOCK THE ROADWAY OR
COMMIT A CRIME IN THE PUBLIC
AREAS.
THE PROTESTING OF TELESCOPES ON
MAUNA KEA IS NOTHING NEW. THERE
HAVE BEEN
PROTESTS EACH TIME A NEW
TELESCOPE WAS BUILT ON THE
MOUNTAIN, DATING BACK TO THE
FIRST ONE IN
1964.
JENN BONEZA JOINS US WITH MORE
ON THIS LATEST PROTEST. JENN?
JENN:
MAUNA KEA IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED
ACCORDING TO STATE OFFICIALS. AT
A BRIEF 2PM NEWS CONFERENCE, THE
STATE CLARIFIED THAT MAUNA KEA
IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED TO
EVERYONE. SEVERAL DAYS AGO THEY
ANNOUNCED THAT IT REMAINED OPEN
TO ANYONE WHO WANTED TO
WALK UP BUT
GOVERNOR IGES EMERGENCY
PROCLAMATION GAVE LAW EFORCEMENT
INCREASED
FLEXIBILITY AND AUTHORITY TO
CLOSE MORE AREAS AND RESTRICT
ACCESS ON MAUNA KEA IN ORDER TO
ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY.
OTHER THAN THAT DAY ITS BEEN A
QUIET DAY ON THE MAUNA.
AFTER THREE DAYS OF CONFLICT,
THE STATE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
CHOSE TO AVOID A CONFRONTATION
WITH THE LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE
GATHERED ALONG MAUNA KEA ACCCESS
ROAD TODAY.
POLICE AND SHERIFF'S REMAINED AT
THEIR POSTS, PERCHED ABOVE THE
KIAI OR MAUNA KA PROTECTORS.
NAT SOUND: HULA
HUNDREDS WHO CAME TOGETHER AT
THE BASE OF MAUNA KEA TO OPPOSE
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 1.4
BILLION DOLLAR THIRTY METER
TELESCOPE, SPENT THE DAY
RELAXING AND WAITING IN
ANTI
PATION
KAHOOKAHI KANUHA, KIAI OF MAUNA
KEA: "WE ARE USING THIS TIME TO
REJUVENATE A LITTLE BIT TO
ORGANIZE A LITTLE BIT BUT BY NO
MEANS DO WE
ANTICIPATE THAT THIS IS A SIGN
THAT THE STATE OF HAWAII IS
BACKING OFF OR THAT THE STATE OF
HAWAII IS WEAKENING IN ANYWAY
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S
GOVERNORS SIGNED HIS EMERGENCY
PROCLAMATION YESTERDAY."
IT FEELS LIKE THE CALM BEFORE
WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE ANOTHER
ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE
KIAI AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
KAHOOKAHI KANUHA, KIAI OF MAUNA
KEA: "WE ANTICIPATE THAT
WHENEVER THEY DO RETURN EITHER
LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT OR
TOMORROW THAT THEY WILL BE
COMING IN FULL FORCE
JENN: "THOUGH THE KIAI REFUSE
TO CLEAR THE PATH FOR HEAVY
EQUIPMENT TO GO UP THE MOUNTAIN
TO BUILD TMT THEY FREELY CLEAR
THE ROAD FOR WATER
TO BE TAKING UP THE MOUNTAIN FOR
THOSE WHO NEED IT."
ONE GROUP NO LONGER AT THE TOP
OF THE MOUNTAIN IS THE WORKERS
AND TECHNICIANS OF THEM MAUNA
KEA OBSERVATORIES.
ALL OF THE SCIENTISTS LEFT THE
FACILITIES TUESDAY DUE TO SAFETY
CONCERNS REGARDING ACCESS TO THE
MOUNTAIN
RICHARD MATSUDA, WM KECK
OBSERVATORY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS:
"THAT'S ANY AND NO ONE IS
OCCUPYING THE FACILITIES UP ON
THE
SUMMIT RIGHT NOW AND WITHOUT
PERSONNEL UP THERE WE ARE UNABLE
TO OPERATE." THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT
TO OPERATE REMOTELY TO AVOID
ISSUES THAT COULD ARISE WITH THE
TELESCOPES. THOUGH MATSUDA SAYS
THEY AREN'T LOSING MONEY, THEY
ARE LOSING SCIENCE
THEY'VE ALREADY HAD TO CANCEL
ONE SCIENCE PROGRAM THAT
INVOLVED OBSERVING THE
SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE AT THE
CENTER OF THE GALAXY
RICHARD MATSUDA, WM KECK
OBSERVATORY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS:
"THEY WERE DOING THAT IN
CONJUNCTION WITH SEVERAL OTHER
FACILITIES AROUND THE WORLD SO
THAT RESEARCH IS NOW MISSING THE
MAUNA KEA PIECE."
MATSUDA SAYS THE CURRENT
PROTESTS REGARDING TMT BEING
BUILT ARE COMPLICATED
RICHARD MATSUDA, WM KECK
OBSERVATORY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS:
"MANY OF US FEEL VERY CONFLICTED
ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE SO IT'S NOT
EASY IT'S NOT EASY FOR ANY OF
US."
BUT HE SAYS WITHOUT PROPER
MAINTENANCE THE COMPLEX
INSTRUMENTATION COULD BECOME
JEOPARDIZED WITHIN A MATTER OF
DAYS
JENN:
IN THE MEANTIME SCIENTISTS HAVE
BEEN RE-DIRECTED TO BASE
FACILITIES IN DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS AROUND THE ISLAND TO
CATCH UP ON SAFETY TRAINING AND
OTHER PROJECTS.
BACK TO YOU.
JOE: