Video of Thursday morning’s mass arrest on Mauna Kea. The action was carried out peacefully just before 8 a.m.
by David Corrigan
MAUNA KEA – Several arrests were made Thursday morning as police began enforcing an open through-way on Mauna Kea Access Road. The road has been blocked by a group of Mauna Kea “protectors” – to Thirty Meter telescope construction crews only – for about a week.
Under pressure to enforce the law on the road, which is under Hawaii County jurisdiction, police began warning that arrests would be made if the group of protectors did not step aside to let TMT drive up to the summit.
Everyone involved prepared themselves for a showdown today.
The arrests were carried out peacefully and with little anger, with the exception of 70 year old Moani Akaka who was outraged with the idea having to be handcuffed. Police officers seemed sympathetic to the cause, but nonetheless carried out their duty, often with the traditional Hawaiian embrace before the cuffing. An official count has yet to be released but the early number was in the vicinity of 10 to 20 people. Mothers with keiki were implored by police to step aside before the arrests began.
Before the arrests police granted the protectors the latitude to pray, and when Lanakila Mangauil spoke he petitioned the police to follow their sovereign hearts in the hopes they would not break up the blockade.
Those arrested are expected to face a misdemeanor charge with a bail of $250. Mangauil and other leaders asked the fellow protectors to consider an alternative to arrest, but knowing there were some whose minds were made up, Managuil asked that everything be done peacefully and with aloha.
The road was cleared at the Mauna Kea visitor center and open by 8 am, allowing TMT vehicles to pass through.
Mangauil was last seen walking up the summit road towards the TMT site with a band of supporters.
I support standing up for what you believe in but if you’re going to start blocking roads and violating the law, you should expect to get arrested
Same way all those people who got tickets for using their cell phones while driving in traffic. They broke the law too.
HAWAIIAN PATRIOTS 4/2/2015
Ronald Fujiyoshi, 75, of Hilo
Moanikeala Akaka, 70, of Hilo
Joseph Kanuha, 56, of Kailua-Kona
Eric Heaukulani, 38, of Kealakekua
Kelii Ioane Jr., 63, of Hilo
James Albertini, 68, of Kurtistown
Erin O’Donnel, 40, of Kamuela
Craig Neff, 56 ,of Pāpaʻikou
Gary Oamilda, 66, of Ocean View
Chase Kahookahi Kanuha, 26, of Kailua-Kona
Dannette Henrietta, 45, of Hilo
Lambert Lavea, 27, of Mountain View
Aloha Ke Akua, Bless these people and Ohana…Kūʻe
if u don’t know what’s up.. U shud shut up!
Who’s laws?
I don’t know as much as I would like to know about both sides, but I do know this:
Mauna Kea and Haleakala provide a gateway to the heavens from the most precious place on Earth.
Aloha kakou e na po’e Hawai’i.As a current junior at Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School I say that this is HEWA LOA. These policemen should know that what they want to destroy is not just a mountain, but a kula IWI. Mahalo nui loa for putting out your best and for showing them that you care enough to fight for it, because we should! EO NA KAKO’O ‘OIWI!!!
I believed that as Hawaiian, we have a right to our beliefs and our religion. It’s the people who want better “for their selfish selves” want to destroy or island and EVERYTHING we stand for to secure a spot up top with other punks. You do not belong here. And you will never be loved by us. All the Hawaiians and long time residents know what we try to stand up for. The past, the present, and the future. OUR WAY. AND TO THOSE WHO DON’T BELIEVE OUR WAYS, WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHY NOT FIX ROADS AND FEED PEOPLE. INSTEAD YOUR GONNA SUPPORT SOMETHING UNNECESSARY AND DISRESPECTFUL. If we wanted to see the damn solar system, I would have used Google. There are people in the mainland that have that shit. We don’t want it. AT ALL. We already have some up there. Why destroy our history and ancestry so you can be happy? Cops will be cops. They are not doing their job in this case. You wanna protect people?! WHAT ABOUT US. Every one has choices. I guess they chose wrong.
The appropriate thing is to decide: Kingdom v. State. The road may be County’s/State’s but the land underneath is the Hawaiian Kingdom’s. These officers should have cross the line and taken off their guns…and stood with the people. Just my opinion.
KU’E Aloha Aina!
Things like this make it possible for you to go on google moron.think about it this wouldn’t be Hawaii if the Hawaiians didn’t use the stars to navigate here.this can help everyone you know maybe when they are done with this one they can take down some or all of the old ones. I fully understand the importance of the land…but again think about every time you/all the protesters jump in there car,go to work,go shopping and for some collect welfare its all provided by the government and state. Hypocrites
This is for the other GUEST person- I can tell you not Hawaiian if you were than you would know how IMPORTANT this mountain is to is okay . It’s not just taking down the old telescopes what if they don’t? I understand you respect the land and thank you but I am trying to say that our KUPUNA protected this land for the generations to come to see this beautiful mauna (mountain) and we the kanakas NOW we have to protected for our keiki and grandchildren to come. Yes we use cars , go shopping and have smartphones but it’s because captain Cook came than the missionaries and than the overthrown happen! Now all the time we want to ku’e you guys always say NO this is still Hawaii tjis is still hawaiian lands not just “that spot is Hawaiian land or this side is Hawaiian lands ” EVERYWHERE of Hawaii is Hawaiian lands! We are not dumb Hawaiians so don’t underestimate us . And the government? Who think running it?
I’m born and raised here I hunt on that mountain I grew up on that mountain.i respect and understand the need for preservation of the land. But I also know the importance of technology.and AGAIN Hawaiians used the stars to get here.without the stars we might have never been here. Science….its pretty cool 😎
I see that the leader, Lanakila, was not one of the ones arrested. Why? So much passion in the video. But his followers go to jail for him?
This desecration of the mauna, a sacred place of worship
is one of the saddest things in my many years on this earth.
Everyone else enjoys freedom of religion – except Hawaiians ?
Money-changers on the steps of the temple.
How many damn telescopes do they need ?
KU’E KA LA HUI EA
HAOLES HAVE NO CULTURE.
STAND WITH HAWAIIANS OR STAND DOWN.
I don’t understand why these protesters didn’t think about this issue 8 years ago when tmt started researching the area and planning this project. If they really cared about mauna kea they would have been in touch with what was happening to their beloved mountain…not after the fact. It seems like a cry for attention and publicity. If you, Lanakila want to be a savior of mauna kea then why didn’t you get arrested? Instead you go up the mountain and hide while all your followers are getting arrested. What a coward!
the message above wasn’t towards kulia Naito but just a general comment
Shameful these cops. how do you sleep at night?
Thank you to all who were arrested. Detained illegally.
HEROES o ka aina.
le’ale’a kou inoa !
Yossei. If you’re not going to stand up where you live,
you will never ever stand up at all. Why what ?
Since money is the first line, the top line, the bottom line,
rights are being trampled BECAUSE the state stands to
gain financially from all that blight on the mauna.
Cops protecting people went out at the latest in the 70’s. This is the TV generation, Miami Vice & ‘Above the Law’ wanna-be’s. Your comment so le’a le’a – KU’E.
The development of the mauna has been
righteously protested the whole time –
where have you been ?
Koi. I wanna be there when you address
your ‘general comment’ to Lanakila’s face.
And it’s Naipo, not Naito.
Invalid arrests – cops no jurisdiction on conservation roads,
only county or state roads.
I know exactly what’s up. You had 7 years to do something and now that you didn’t get your way, you want to block the road. Well, now it’s time for arrests.
Well obviously the protests haven’t accomplished anything, so why would it work now? As far as my comment goes, I didn’t realize Lanakila was in on this thread. It’s not about betraying the commander in chief, it’s about the commander in chief standing up for his men, not running away. As far as Naito, my spell check changed it from NAIPO-E KALA MAI!
They didnt need telescopes to navigate!
Just Curious…Why no Protest?…
“Jolicoeur spent about three weeks strolling around the island, asking locals to hold his ungainly, foam-sheathed microphone and tell the camera how they felt about the big acquisition. Everyone seemed to feel very, very good. “I want to thank Mr. Ellison,” one fishing-boat captain says. “He’s got a vision, and he’s taking care of us over here on Lanai.” A pack of landscapers, shown assiduously raking dirt, say things like: “Thank you for work, Mr. Ellison! Thank you very much!” The owner of a salon: “I just want to take this time to thank Mr. Ellison for the unbelievable, incredible takeover of Lanai.” Inside the island’s Catholic church, a priest in a purple robe, surrounded by children, says: “Heavenly father. . . . We ask for your blessings for Mr. Ellison, particularly, and those who work with him, that all the good plans and intentions that he has for Lanai be fruitful.” NYtimes Sept. 2014
It’s to bad native hawaiians can’t protect and preserve their own lands without the influence of a large Corp or our government, they won’t stop building until every last square mile has been taken and our ancestors are forgotten.
A’ole pilikia. I was there for the Hilo Airport protests in the 70’s.
Where is a company without a leader ? If this one is taken, more
will come, there’s an ocean of them. Re: nothing worked before:
like I said, if you won’t stand up on homeground, you will never
stand up ANYWHERE. So easy to criticize from the Internet.
Face-to-faceis where it’s at. Naipo may still be a schoolgirl
so go easy. KU’E KA LA HUI EA
It’s not the stopping of progress in this movement it’s to protect the water aquifer that they are going to build on. If you don’t believe in the sacredness of the land just think of the poison that will seep in to the water supply.
If you read my previous comment you would know that None of my messages were intended toward Naipo. I was just expressing my feelings on this topic, so I’m not sure why I need to “go easy.”
I wouldn’t turn this into an issue of ‘science against religion’. science is here to support people. science is supposed to make our life better, or, let’s say, easier. today’s telescopes can look into the Universe further, than we will ever be able to travel. how is the knowledge gained by an even bigger telescope really going to bring better living conditions to people, besides the few that just like astronomy or are excited to get more pictures from outer space? it is still an arrogant venture of a group with very peculiar and special interests and rights. and I am not Hawaiian, I am European, born and raised in Europe. this is also not a matter of ‘European against Hawaiian’ – if this happened in Europe and they wanted to dig a huge hole into a place people loved, a lot of people would protest. I’ve seen this in Germany where they just wanted to just build a new railroad station and had to cut down about 100 nice, old trees and destroy part of a park. people protested every day. the tmt is an issue of a very special kind of interest with a lot of money attached to it.
I like how everyone thinks there a legal expert all the sudden. Garranz you couldn’t name the 3 branches of government without Google
A bunch of people playing dressup on maunakea while living off welfare. Hows that for knowing whats up?
Well-educated before Google existed.
Sounds like you’re the one who can’t function
without your Google.
If you read my previous comment like I said
Naipo may still be an underage student, a minor.
Hence the ‘go easy’. You may also be a minor;
It’s your right to express all you like howeva
Hawaiian style is to finesse it so you’re not
stepping on anybody’s toes. I wearied of your
Internet bravado throwing shade on Lanakila.
Dat’s all, folks.
Garranz your a*# you of the punk-y generation.
I was making my bones before you were born.
Yes, Hawaiians did use that which is above to learn about that which is below, but our knowledge encompassed so much more than the stars; medicine, agriculture, horticulture, of so many sciences. The Hokulea is an excellent example of the manifestation of our disciplines. The Polynesian Voyaging Society has done wonders in recapturing our past of Navigating the Pacific Ocean by the stars, without the use of telescopes.
I like how you spell ‘they’re”
Garranz ball bearins you don’t know how to
turn on your Google spell-check Bwaaahaha
I’m a tribal member of big valley rancheria pomo natives . That moved to Maui. I have been through this when they take our land and do what they please and have no respect because they have no culture no religion they have no breath !!! We as indigenous ppl have to stand together . Other ppl do not see !! All they see is a telescope being built we see dissacration of the land. If we let Them start with a telescope what else are they going to build next !!!! A-ho ALL MY RELATIONS!!!!!!
took you three days to catch that. Your mother must be proud
Pardon me for not keeping up w/ trolls. I motocrossed that road
it is on conservation land. Google that. P.S. chinga tu madre.
that’s because you’re a little slow, bumbai you learn son. Maybe you just need your head slapped and your mouth soaped out but don’t let me catch you, otherwise I’ll give you a beating you’ll never forget. You don’t go insulting moms here, got it bra?
When’s the last time you went up to worship at your temple?
Maybe what you don’t know, is OHA gave TMT their blessing already. So now after 7 years, these guys want to come along and act like this took them by surprise.
We have the right to say no & take every telescope of mauna kea because were not part the US im 17 years old & my puna tought me this my teachers dont believeme
Every week. And you ?
U so pilau…go take a shower.
Wattsa matta, struck a nerve ? You get as good as you give. Respect is a two-way street, noho’i.
No del todo, pero es lógico pensar que su madre es una puta gorda
Don’t know what you’re on but you are an embarrassment to de los
Estados Unidos. Make your mother proud, get a J-O-B. How else would
you have the time to be commenting on every little this & that in milliseconds.
You should have just stopped at “don’t know”. Because that’s about the only thing worthwhile you’ve said.
Get a job. If you’re old enough.