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takyon writes:

With access to summit blocked, telescope operators abandon Mauna Kea summit

The directors of existing telescopes at the summit of Mauna Kea evacuated their employees Tuesday as a growing protest against the construction of TMT blocked access to the mountain.

Jessica Dempsey, the deputy director for the East Asian Observatory, said the organizations that run the observatories made a "joint decision" to withdraw all employees as a safety precaution. [...] The telescopes, Dempsey said, have millions of dollars of instrumentation that need constant maintenance. "This is a risk for us to have to step away at this point," she said. "This is not a decision we came to lightly, but want to emphasize the importance of safety for our staffs and the facilities."

Protesters at Mauna Kea welcomed the news Tuesday, with an eruption of cheers and hugs.

'Stolen lands': dozens arrested as Hawaiians protest $1.4bn telescope

Dozens of people have been arrested on Hawaii's Big Island this week after hundreds of protesters stood, lay and even chained themselves to structures in an effort to stop the construction of a billion-dollar space observatory at the summit of Hawaii's tallest mountain.

[...] [Organizer Kahoʻokahi] Kanuha and fellow protesters have vowed to continue fighting the telescope until construction is halted, and plan to continue peaceful protests. On Wednesday an estimated 1,000 demonstrators turned up at the site, with police issuing citations to 33 people.

Previously: Divisive Giant Telescope Cleared for Construction on Hawaiian Peak
Protesters Block Road in Attempt to Halt Thirty Meter Telescope Construction

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