'The Rock' visits Hawaii protesters as envoy prepares talks

Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson visited protesters blocking development of a large telescope on Wednesday because the Hawaii governor’s envoy to Native Hawaiian leaders ready to start out talks to discover a manner out of the deadlock.

Dancers carried out hula and chants as Johnson arrived on the protest website on Mauna Kea. Information broadcasts and social media websites confirmed him exchanging nostril to nostril greetings known as honi with protesters.

Johnson mentioned he was honored to be there and informed a crowd: “I stand with you.”

“That is such a vital second and a pivotal time. As a result of the world is watching,” Johnson mentioned to loud cheers.

Johnson, who’s Samoan and never Hawaiian, spent a part of his childhood in Honolulu. He is resulting from star as King Kamehameha the Nice, the chief who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, in an upcoming film from his manufacturing firm.

The protest blocking a highway to stop development crews from reaching Mauna Kea’s summit to construct the Thirty Meter Telescope marked its 10th day.

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim, who’s the governor’s envoy to the protesters, mentioned he is organizing the primary of many conferences with Native Hawaiian leaders.

Kim mentioned he desires to get folks to work collectively for what he hopes might be a standard purpose. He mentioned there might be “a really splintered group” if that does not occur.

“We don’t need this to turn into the reason for a polarized group,” Kim mentioned in a phone interview. “That to me is a important problem right here.”

Kim mentioned the governor known as him Monday evening to ask him to tackle the function. He recalled saying a silent prayer to assist him “do the proper factor for the proper causes.”

The mayor mentioned he was additionally speaking to legislation enforcement to go over insurance policies and objectives with them.

Kim mentioned he did not have a time-frame for when he hoped to complete talks, simply “as quickly as doable.”

He mentioned plenty of “ache and anger” was popping out within the protests in reflection of how successive governments have handled the Hawaiian folks for the reason that U.S.-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893.

He mentioned the standoff over the telescope might give “us a possibility to be higher and I hope we reap the benefits of it.”

The 13 telescopes already on the mountain have suspended nighttime observations and different operations whereas the highway is blocked as a result of they cannot be certain they will be capable of get workers to the summit. On Tuesday, protesters prevented Gemini Telescope technicians from going to the summit to carry out upkeep.

The protesters object to constructing the Thirty Meter Telescope as a result of they’re involved it’s going to hurt a website some Native Hawaiians consider to be sacred.