is the Mauna Kea blockade ethical?

[macuu222]

Ige decides to pull law enforcement from Mauna Kea. It's about time!!!! Although it probably had something to do with Hawaii County Council rejecting state money for law enforcement of the mountain.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/12/1...mauna-kea/

[MarkP]

Not sure what to think since the state should have been sending officers to enforce free travel on the road. Still, removing officers that were basically defending lawbreaking is a move in the right direction I guess.

[Guest]

"Ige decides to pull law enforcement from Mauna Kea."

Finally, Ige does something right.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The Star-Advertiser has some generally positive comments in their report:

However, Ige has said repeatedly he still intends to reassert the “rule of law” and reopen the Mauna Kea Access Road to allow construction to resume on the $1.4 billion telescope.

“It is our understanding that Hawaii County will give the protesters time to remove the unauthorized structures and materials before undertaking its own clearance procedures,” according to the Ige administration memo.

Pua Case, one of the leaders of the protest, said state highways crews are expected to begin removing the barricades along the Daniel K. Inouye Highway today, but said the TMT opponents are not yet certain exactly what that means.

[Punatic007]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkP

Not sure what to think since the state should have been sending officers to enforce free travel on the road. Still, removing officers that were basically defending lawbreaking is a move in the right direction I guess.

---

"I guess" too. Hard to even think about, so ignorant it makes me cringe. Kinda like contemplating the motives of the KKK, yeah..no.

[terracore]

HAWAII POLICE DEPT: Expect delays along Route 200 near Mauna Kea access road while State Hwy's moves equipment. nixle.us/BHQ94

[kalakoa]

https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2019/...tand-down/

The Thirty Meter Telescope says the decision to open the Mauna Kea Access Road should not be predicated on the timing to start TMT construction, and added that Hawaiʻi government “has not demonstrated that they are able to provide safe, sustained access to Maunakea for everyone,” following today’s announcement that law enforcement will be standing down on the mountain.

Pretty strong words, there.

[LazyLehua]

So if law enforcement is removed, and the road re-opened...does that mean if the protectors remain on the road which is open to traffic they would be arrested? I really don’t see them moving? Can we just drive around them? I think this could go bad real quick if they try and take control of the road. Time will tell.

Stacey
Living the life in Cali and Hawai‘i

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The deadline is set for December 26th.
The traffic barriers are coming down.
Protestors have a week to pack their things, get off the road, or go to jail.

MAUNA KEA >> State law enforcement officers have given the Mauna Kea protesters an ultimatum to clear out of their camp on the access road by Dec. 26 or face arrest.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/12/1...mauna-kea/

[KeaauRich]

I think Ige is using the announcement that "the TMT project has informed him that the project is not ready to proceed with construction on Mauna Kea" to give the protesters a face-saving way to a) be home for Christmas and b) get off the mountain before someone succumbs to the effects of cold weather up there. I drove past the site earlier this week when it was rainy and extremely windy with temps in the mid-50's. The number of tent structures seemed significantly reduced from the late summer/early fall presence, and there wasn't a single soul to be seen. It also provides a face saving method to stop the uncontrolled expenditure of funds for police "protection" and "enhanced enforcement" now that it has reached the nice round number of $15 million ($15 million!!!!)

Let's get real here for a minute...There was no need for TMT to announce what anyone with half a brain already knew. Even if the road was perfectly clear today, there's no way the TMT folks would try to undertake construction in the dead of winter, bringing heavy equipment and supplies up that winding road while facing whiteouts and gusty winds. This is the Governor and the Mayor trying to push the reset button: clear the protesters of the mountain now while the environment is the most challenging, and then hope to God they can do a better job of enforcing the law once the weather warms up again.