HONOLULU (AP) – A battle is poised to unfold on a Hawaii mountain where one of the world’s largest telescopes is set to be built.
As work resumes Wednesday on the Thirty Meter Telescope atop the Big Island’s Mauna Kea, protesters will try to peacefully stop the construction because they say it tramples on land that is sacred to Native Hawaiians.
“We’re bracing ourselves mentally, spiritually for the battle ahead,” said Kahookahi Kanuha, one of the protesters camped out near the visitor center at a 9,200-foot elevation. “I don’t mean a physical battle. It’s brain against brain.”
The protesters are sleeping in vehicles or on cots under a tent and braving weather that’s chilly for Hawaii standards – about 30 degrees at night. They are also making sure they have bail money ready in case they are arrested.
Work was put on hold for two months after the arrests of 31 people blocking access to the site. On Saturday, telescope officials announced construction would start again Wednesday. Opponents say the $1.4 billion project that will be 18 stories high will desecrate land believed by Native Hawaiians to be the home of deities. Some say it’s time to curb development on the mountain, where 13 other telescopes sit.