The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
July 16, 2019

Hawaiian Land Defenders Protest Construction of Thirty Meter Telescope at Mauna Kea
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And in Hawaii, hundreds of land defenders are protesting the
construction of the contested Thirty Meter Telescope on top of Mauna
Kea, which is considered a sacred native site. Activists say the
construction of the telescope was approved without consulting the local
native community.

Monday morning, protesters chained themselves at the base of the
mountain's road. Imai Winchester, who took part in the action, told NPR
that they hope to inform people of the "desecration of our lands, [and]
the failure of the state and its agencies to properly manage something
that is important."

The ACLU of Hawaii is warning enforcement authorities must respect the
rights of protesters, and has threatened to sue if sound cannons are
deployed. More direct actions are planned today and throughout the week.


.