Oahu activists demonstrate after Thirty Meter Telescope arrests
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Above, people gathered Wednesday in front of Bachman Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to protest the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea on the Hawaii island. Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu gave a chant before a meeting with University of Hawaii President David Lassner.
KAT WADE / SPECIAL TO THE STAR ADVERTISER
Westbound traffic on H-1 was backed up near the University Avenue exit after TMT foes — some in cars outfitted with upside-down Hawaiian flags — slowed traffic to a crawl with cars in all four lanes driving side-by-side at very slow speeds. The action jammed up westbound traffic for hours afterward.
Oahu experienced a taste of Hawaii island’s Thirty Meter Telescope protest Wednesday as Native Hawaiian sympathizers demonstrated at the state Capitol courtyard, held a sit-in at Gov. David Ige’s office and slowed traffic on the H-1 Freeway and at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, among other actions.
“We made sure today that our voices were heard,” said Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a kumu hula and veteran activist who led many of the day’s demonstrations.
Wong-Kalu said the protests were aimed at letting non-Hawaiians know how Hawaiians are being treated in light of the 33 arrests at the Mauna Kea standoff Wednesday.
“They better make sure that they recognize the fact we’re not dead,” she said outside the governor’s office following the brief sit-in. “We’re alive and well. And it’s about high time people actually started to respect us.”
Dozens joined the day’s protests, which started early at state Department of Land and Natural Resources headquarters on Punchbowl Street. It continued at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where protesters called for the resignation of University of Hawaii President David Lassner.
Also Wednesday, TMT foes — some in cars outfitted with upside-down Hawaiian flags — slowed traffic to a crawl on the H-1 Freeway westbound near Manoa with cars in all four lanes driving side-by-side at very slow speeds. The action jammed up westbound traffic for hours afterward.
A similar vehicular slowdown occurred at Honolulu’s airport.
Honolulu police said three drivers were cited on the H-1 westbound between UH and the Lunalilo off-ramp, two for non-compliance with the speed limit, an $82 fine, and a third for having an expired license plate, a $70 fine.
On the H-1 Isenberg Street pedestrian overpass, demonstrators were waving a Hawaiian flag and the Native Hawaiian flag.
Elizabeth Kealoha of Waianae said she answered a call on Facebook to come out to demonstrate because of the TMT arrests.
“I’m doing my part,” said Kealoha, 27. “I got to stand up for my kupunas. I cannot just let them get arrested while us keikis sit down. I’m hurt. I’ve been crying for days.”
Wong-Kalu said there will be more actions if the state continues to oppress Hawaiians.
“We’re planning many things to celebrate who we are as kanaka. And I don’t mean the only type of kanaka that says ‘aloha’ and ‘mahalo.’ That’s old and tired. We’re going to show you aloha aina and aina aloha,” she said.
Staff writer Diane Lee contributed to this story.
