Several Arrested on Mauna Kea Friday Morning

July 31, 2015, 10:04 AM HST
* Updated July 31, 3:53 PM

Listen to this Article
1 minuteLoading Audio... Article will play after ad...

State officials arrested seven individuals on Mauna Kea Friday morning for violating a new emergency rule that restricts overnight access to the mountain.

According to Josh Wisch, special assistant to the Hawai’i Attorney General, an additional six men were issued citations and voluntarily left the mountain.

Department of Land and Natural Resources officers made the arrests around 2 a.m.

These are the first arrests since the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Gov. David Ige issued an emergency rule that made it illegal to be in the area along Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road from 10 p.m. – 4 a.m.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

The arrests come after months of protesters occupying the mountain and halting construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.

Ige issued the following statement Friday about the arrests:

“The emergency rules were enacted to ensure public safety and access after the road was blocked by boulders. The state has made sure people are aware of and understand the emergency rules before taking the next step. While we had hoped arrests would not have to be made in the process of citing violators last night, we were prepared to take action, and we did so,” he said.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Five of those arrested had their bail set at $250 including, Eric Ana, 35, of Oahu; Joseph Henderson, 26, of Pahoa Laakeaokani Sanborn, 32, of Kona; D’Angelo Montez McIntyre, 29, of Oahu; Marcus Yoshizu, 26, of Oahu.

Bronson Kobayashi, 23, of Kona, had his bail set at $400 for additional warrant.

Pueo McGuire Turcotte, of Naalehu, had a bail of $3,100 for additional charges and outstanding warrants.

SWIPE LEFT OR RIGHT