Access to Mauna Kea

[kalianna]

Did this keep observatory staff from being able to use the spur road? I hadn't heard anything anything about it. Please let us know what happens.

[TomK]

I will. In the end, other protesters rearranged things so the vehicle/s could by-pass it but it took some time. The vehicle was still parked there around 3-pm but don't know how traffic heading down from the mountain was affected or not. This is not in the news, but all the observatories are aware of the event plus there are photos. Can't say much more at this point though.

[Jimbo2017]

As for intimidating and access - I heard directly from a UH student and technician in the ecology research side of things on MK that they were in tears because they felt scared and did not want to show their ID to protesters. They stated their business as plant and bug surveys, and were on the OMKM/State list, but were not taken at their word by protesters. It is disgusting that the protesters asked these students and technician for ID, then were turned around when they would not give the 'aloha checkpoint' people their Drivers licenses. There were no police officers nearby to assist, and the students left because they did not want to deal with it.

Mauka Hilo-side

[randomq]

Ige should be ashamed for letting this go on.

[kalakoa]

turned around when they would not give the 'aloha checkpoint' people their Drivers licenses

I believe the technical term is "unlawful detainer", but this assumes rule of law which is apparently not available.

Ige should be ashamed for letting this go on.

Ige doesn't live on this island. Why should he even care?

My solution: give Mauna Kea Access Road to the protestors. Build a fence around their entire camp, then go create a new access road elsewhere. This seems like it would be more expensive, but it's a fixed cost instead of an ongoing occupation with endless overtime.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

It is disgusting that the protesters asked these students and technician for ID

And most likely against the law. When is it appropriate to demand (not ask) that someone show you their ID?
These bullying tactics need to be exposed on social media showing not all Mauna Kea protestors are what they purport to be.

Can’t Jason “Aqua-Table” Momoa have a word with the phoney checkpoint guards and truck parkers?

[Frank]

@ Kalakoa...Build a fence around their entire camp,


Now thats rich...build it on DHHL land...your not quiet as bad as the State...you did not offer a swap

[randomq]

Too bad there's not a high-tech sciencey solution to access. Like super drones delivering the heavy equipment. That would send the appropriate message.

[Chunkster]

Anyone who thinks the protesters are all peace loving victims of oppression needs to read this piece from HNN carefully:

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/08/16...situation/


From the report of Police Maj. Samuel Jelsma:

“'There was a significant risk that the increasingly vocal and volatile group of protesters on both shoulders would respond with violence if law enforcement officers took the necessary action to forcefully separate protesters who were blocking the road,' he wrote, in the document. The incident commander also said that some activists had their faces covered and carried bamboo sticks behind their backs."

I have known Sam Jelsma for 15 years, and he is not prone to exaggeration or hyperbola. Civil disobedience has a place in the world of political expression, as exemplified by the passive resistance of the followers of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Covered faces and bamboo clubs do not qualify as such and amount to thuggery. And the thuggery continues every day as our totally inept and gutless politicians fail to do their jobs.

[kalakoa]

build it on DHHL land...

There are adjacent State lands on which the fence could be built.