TMT Launches Online Campaign in Support of Mauna Kea Telescope
Social media has helped fuel opposition to the observatory; now proponents are hoping to turn the tide around.
The Thirty Meter Telescope has created a new website and hashtag — #WeSupportTMT — to counteract concerns about the controversial planned telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii.
A group of Native Hawaiian activists and their allies have been blocking construction of new observatory for the past two weeks. After 31 people were arrested for hindering construction, Gov. David Ige announced a moratorium on construction that ends on April 20.
Supporters draped in the Hawaiian flags chant as they approach the Mauna Kea visitor center.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
“The facts about TMT on Maunakea page provides good factual information that can be used for fact checking any misinformation that is being proliferated via social media,” the organization said in a press release Monday.
The website and hashtag appear to be in response to activists’ successful use of social media to spread the word about the sacredness of Mauna Kea and their environmental concerns about the project.
There are more than 11,700 photos on Instagram with the hashtag #TMTshutdown created by Kahookahi Kanuha, one of the spokesmen for the opposition, and nearly 11,000 people have “liked” a Facebook group called “Protect Mauna Kea.”
