BUT THOSE OPPOSED TO THE
PROJECT... SAY THEY'RE NOT
GIVING UP JUST YET.
BRIG:
HUNDREDS GATHERED THIS MORNING
BLOCKING THE MAUNA KEA ACCESS
ROAD. JENN BONEZA LIVE
WITH THE LATEST...
JENN, HOW IS IT AT THE BASE OF
MAUNA KEA?
JENN:
THE MOOD HERE AT THE BASE OF
MAUNA KEA IS UPBEAT, ALMOST
CELEBRATORY. AFTER A LENGTHY
PEACEFUL STAND OFF, PROTESTERS
SEEM TO HAVE SUCCEEDED IN
PROTECTING MAUNA KEA. AT LEAST
FOR TODAY THEY HAVE WON. BUT THE
SCENE EARLIER THIS MORNING WAS
MUCH
BILLY FREITAS, KUPUNA KIAI MAUNA
KEA:" MY PLAN HERE IS TO STAY
HERE KUPAA AND PROTECT MAUNA
KEA." BILLY FRIETAS AND AT LEAST
A DOZEN KUPUNA BOUND THEMSELVES
NDGETHER WITH MAILE LEI ACROSS
THE BASE OF MAUNA
ACCESS ROAD. 8 OTHERS CHAINED
THEMSELVES TO A CATTLE GRATE
FURTHER UP THE ROAD. THEIR
DETERMINATION AND MESSAGE
WAS CLEAR,
IMAI WINCHESTER, TEACHER AT
HALAU KU MANA:"WE'VE ALREADY
BEEN INFORMED THAT WE WILL BE
ARRESTED WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT
WE ARE
WILING TO DO, AS OUR KULEANA,
IT'S OUR BURDEN AND PRIVLEDGE.
TO SHOW OUR CHILDREN AND THE
REST OF THE WORLD HOW MUCH WE
THINGS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR."
AND THEY CONTINUED TO FIGHT. IN
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS IT
SEEMED AS THOUGH POLICE MIGHT
MAKE A MOVE TO ARREST THE
KUPUNA
BUT WERE QUICKLY CONFRONTED BY
PROTESTERS. BUT COOLER HEADS
PREVAILED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
BOTH SIDES WAS OPEN THROUGHOUT
THE DAY AS POLICE AND THOSE
OPPOSED TO TMT NEGOTIATED THE
SAFEST PATH FORWARD.
KAHOOKAHI KANUHA, KIAI OF MAUNA
KEA: "WE ARE COMMITTED TO
NONVIOLENT ACTION AND PEACEFUL
ACTION. WE ARE NOT GOING TO
ANYBODY TO JEOPARDIZE THAT
PERIOD"
CONCRETE BARRIERS WERE PUT IN
ALONG DANIEL K INOUYE HIGHWAY
TO ENSURE PROTESTERS COULD
EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT SAFELY BUT
ALSO TO ALLOW POLICE AND
SHERIFFS TO MANAGE THE CROWDS.
ED SNIFFEN, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION: "THE CONCRETE
BARRIERS ARE GONNA SERVE A
COUPLE OF THINGS..WE WON'T HAVE
PEOPLE
PARKING ON THE HWY ANYMORE. AND
WE'LL ALSO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN
AREA WHERE PEOPLE WANNA EXPRESS
THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS
PROJECT CAN
BE BEHIND AND BE SAFE."
SINCE THE PROTESTERS ARE
UNWILLING TO LEAVE IT FELT LIKE
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE SOMEONE WAS ARRESTED.
THEN AT 2PM AFTER ALMOST 11
HOURS,
OFFICERS RELENTED.
KAHOOKAHI KANUHA, KIAI OF MAUNA
KEA: "THE CHIEF THE HEAD OF THE
FACTION LET US KNOW THAT DUE TO
THE LONG JEOPARDY OF THIS
COMMITMENT
THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT OF
THESE KEY I.E. THEY ARE BACKING
OFF THEIR RETREATING ALL THOSE
WERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ARRESTED
330 THIS
MORNING ARE GOING BACK TO THE
PUUHONUA."
52:00??
JENN:
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS THAT
INITIALLY MADE THE SHERIFF SAY
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THIS TODAY?"
WALTER RITTE:
"I THINK IT WAS THE SAME THING
THAT SAVED KAHOOLAWE IT WAS
ALOHA THAT'S WHAT I FEEL ON BOTH
SIDES."
NOE GOODYEAR KAOPUA: "IT WAS
HARD IT WAS A DIFFICULT DAY BUT
I FEEL AT THE END OF THE DAY
GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE GREAT TO BE
STANDING IN FRONT OF THE
MONA GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF
THIS AMAZING MOVEMENT."
JENN:
THE STATE FACED A MYRIAD
OBSTACLES TODAY. THE LARGE AND
MOTIVATED CROWD MADE IT
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR
CONSTRUCTION TO PROGRESS. RIGHT
NOW THE PROTESTERS ARE
MEETING TO DISCUSS THEIR GAME
PLAN. AND IT LOOKS LIKE DOT
CREWS ARE INSPECTING THE
CATTLE GAURD.
WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON ALL
THE LATEST NEWS HERE. LIVE FROM
MAUNA KEA JENN
BONEZA.
BRIG:
AND HERE ON OAHU, A