MAUNAKEA — University of Hawaii President David Lassner visited the Thirty Meter Telescope protest site Sunday afternoon.
He met with protest leaders and kupuna and spent about an hour near the Maunakea Access Road, where about 2,000 TMT opponents were gathered.
TMT was given a sublease from UH for land on the summit on which the telescope is supposed to be built.
Some UH faculty, staff and students oppose the TMT project. More than 800 signed a petition calling for Lassner to revoke the sublease or resign.
Lassner met with kupuna and addressed them and the crowd.
“I came here because I wanted to see you. I wanted to feel your spirit. I wanted to witness for myself firsthand what is happening here,” he said. “I’m committed to try to find a peaceful way forward for all of the people of Hawaii, and that requires that I understand better than I did before I came here.”