---
title: "Thirty Meter Telescope protests"
chunk: 6/6
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Meter_Telescope_protests"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:34:21.595573+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Against protesters ===
In 2015 University of California astronomers sent out a mass email urging other astronomers to support the TMT through a petition written by a native Hawaiian science student. Concern was raised over the content of the email, with the wording of "a horde of native Hawaiians" to describe the protesters considered to be problematic and potentially racist.
Hawaii based businesses that support the telescope were named in a boycott that was popularized on social media. Businesses included were KTA Super Stores and HPM Building Supply.

=== Support for protesters ===
Scientists have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms to voice their support publicly for the protest using #ScientistsforMaunaKea, in which they highlight their field and why they feel that the TMT is not needed on the mountain. An open letter was also published and signed by nearly 1,000 members of the scientific community that takes no position on the siting of TMT on Maunakea, but denounces "the criminalization of the protectors on Maunakea". In an online petition, a group of Canadian academics, scientists, and students have called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau together with Industry Minister Navdeep Bains and Science Minister Kirsty Duncan to divest Canadian funding from the project. Native Hawaiian academics from various fields have also voiced their opposition to the telescope and participated in the protests themselves, such as Oceanographer Rosie Alegado. On July 20, 2019 an online petition titled "A Call to Divest Canada's Research Funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea" has been posted on Change.org.
Several celebrities have supported the protest. Some, such as Damian Marley, Jason Momoa, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Johnson and Ezra Miller traveled to the location and participated in the protests.  Others, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruno Mars, Emilia Clarke, Nathalie Emmanuel, Rosario Dawson, Jill Wagner, Jai Courtney, Kelly Slater and Madison Bumgarner have used social media to promote the cause. Hawaiian athletes including Jordan Yamamoto, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Max Holloway have publicly supported the protests.

== See also ==
Maui solar telescope protests
Giant Magellan Telescope
Office of Hawaiian Affairs

== References ==

== External links ==

INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII: Should the Thirty Meter Telescope Be Built? – roundtable discussion (video, aired on April 30, 2015)