Hawaii local officials have voted to impose an emergency ruling to restrict further access to the Mauna Kea since protesters started to block the entrance of the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
On Friday night, the Board of Land and Natural Resources votes resulted in a 5-2 for this 120 day implementation where the rule restricts protesters within a mile of the mountain's access roads during certain hours at night unless they are in a moving vehicle. This ruling also includes a prohibition of bringing camping gear to the site.
This emergency ruling will now allow the construction to resume to its regular working hours of the US $1.4 billion telescope that has been taking the heat of multiple protests over months. Many native Hawaiians believe that the mountain is the most sacred place among the islands.
According to board member Chris Yuen, tools are needed to maintain order on the mountain, it's also sad that it has arrived to this point. Protesters are already warned not to camp on the mountain since it's already been prohibited before.
Since the protesters have been camping out on the site, their presence has stalled and halted construction on the mountain.
During the meeting that lasted eight hours, more than 100 people have testified where the board began its executive session at 9 P.M. and went into deliberations after 10 P.M.
However, according to protest leaders, they will not stop keeping constant vigilance.
According to state Attorney General Doug Chin, protesters have been exhibiting bad behavior such as blocking roads with boulders and even threats and harassment that lead to unsafe working conditions that deemed the implementation of the emergency rule of utmost importance.
However, according to one protest leader, Kahookahi Kanuha, these allegations of bad behavior are false and denies all of it. He says, everything was pono, stressing the Hawaiian word for righteous or proper.