Jason Momoa and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have both visited the protests against the building of a new telescope on Hawai’i’s Mauna Kea. On July 10, it was announced that TMT would begin construction July 15 on land sacred to native Hawaiians. Protectors, or kia’i, are attempting to halt the construction and preserve a delicate ecosystem. Momoa has been sharing information on the protest on his Instagram and brought his 10-year-old son to the protests. Momoa has been active in the Protect Mauna Kea movement since 2015. The Rock also recently joined the protectors, writing on Instagram, “The whole idea about this [protest] is not about stopping progress. It’s not about stopping science. It’s about respecting a culture and respecting people and doing things the right way.” Bruno Mars and Leonardo DiCaprio also lent their social-media support. According to Vox, the company constructing TMT would be “happy” to move to Spain if obstacles continue.
