GEO Stands in Solidarity Against the Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea

The Graduate Employees Organization, IFT/AFT Local 6300, stands in solidarity with the activists at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, who are protesting against the controversial construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop the Mauna Kea sacred mountain. In July 2019, construction resumed after a hiatus due to invalid building permits and protests.

The problems with the TMT’s management and construction go back decades, from securing approval without due process to vast environmental repercussions to the land. Matters are made worse when considering the sacredness of the site for native Hawaiians, who for centuries have had their land invaded and taken advantage of by people from outside the region, including but not limited to scientists and the United States government.

Indigenous peoples should not have to fight desperately for their lands and homes to be respected and their voices to be heard. Like the construction of the disastrous Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) at Standing Rock, the construction of the TMT is yet another example of the United States continuing its violent legacy of settler-colonialism. We call on the TMT International Observatory (TIO) members to halt construction and meet the demands of the Indigenous and environmental activists, and for astronomers across the world to stand against the TMT.

The Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, represents approximately 2,700 Teaching and Graduate Assistants on the UIUC Campus. In November 2009 and in February 2018, over 1,000 GEO members and allies participated in a strike to secure a fair contract and more accessible UIUC campus. With an active presence in the community, the GEO continues to work for high-quality and accessible public education in Illinois.

For more information, please contact geo@uigeo.org. More information can also be found on GEO’s website at www.uiucgeo.org.

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