Kahuku: We Will Block Future Convoys
HNN: … HECO President and CEO Alan Oshima added that cutting a utility pole is “extremely dangerous and we’re lucky no one was killed or seriously hurt.”
Leaders of the wind farm protest also condemned the property damage, saying that they had pledged to follow a policy of peaceful civil disobedience.
Following the arrests, they also said they would return to block future convoys from making it to the wind farm site.
“Today is not the end. We’re still going to be fighting,” said Kamalani Keliikuli, vice president of Ku Kiai Kahuku. “We just don’t want the turbines, and we want them to listen to us. We’re in it for the fight.” ….
HECO: Photos of Downed Power Line
HNN: Here’s what vandals used to cut down a utility pole on Oahu’s North Shore
SA: 55 arrested in wind-farm protests, 237 officers involved in enforcement, HPD Chief Susan Ballard says
SA VIDEO: Honolulu police chief discusses arrests of 50-plus protesters in Kahuku wind-farm project
read … 55 protesters arrested as wind farm convoy completes journey to Kahuku
* * * * *
Kahuku wind farm showdown continues as convoy restarts; 21 arrested, utility pole cut down
(Caldwell's police will clear the way for a stupid windfarm. This proves that the problem on Mauna Kea is Harry Kim, not David Ige.)
Star-Advertiser, October 18, 2019:
Honolulu police arrested 30 protesters in Kahuku this morning as they attempted to block a planned wind farm project.
The latest arrests bring the total to more than 50 after Thursday night’s more than 20 arrests in Kalaeloa as protesters there try to block a heavy equipment convoy before it started its overnight journey to Kahuku.
… Police arrested 21 people (in Kalaeloa) and a utility pole on Kamehameha Highway was intentionally cut down overnight as protesters continue their fight today to block the installation of eight massive turbines for a wind-energy farm in Kahuku.
Kamehameha Highway near Sunset Beach was reopened for the convoy at about 7:30 a.m. after a Hawaiian Electric Co. crew removed the damaged pole, which knocked out power to some customers in the area. Police suspect the pole was cut down to stop the wind turbine convoy from reaching Kahuku.
A large police presence blocked the growing crowd of protesters at the entrance to the Kahuku wind farm site on Oahu’s North Shore as the convoy restarted this morning….
Late Thursday night, scores of protesters gathered at both Kalaeloa in Kapolei, where the heavy-equipment for the convoy was stationed, and near the Kahuku wind farm.
The Kalaeloa protesters stationed themselves at the intersection of Malakole and Hanua Street, less than a mile from AES Hawaii. Virginia-based developer AES Corp. has been contracted to build the wind farm in Kahuku.
Many of the protesters at Kalaeloa duct-taped and zip-tied to each other sat in the middle of the access road for about half an hour before the arrests began….
Officers gave them until 11 p.m. to move as many of the protesters stayed in the middle of the access road for about half an hour before the arrests began. Another 20 or so protesters walked around them for support, singing, chanting and carrying Hawaii state flags.
Arrests of protesters blocking the road at Kalaeloa began after 11 p.m. and by 1 a.m. a total of 21 arrests had been made, police said….
The first three protesters arrested were women, and other protesters called for female officers to carry them away, but officers ignored the requests….
read … Kahuku wind farm showdown continues as convoy restarts; 21 arrested, utility pole cut down
HNN: Video of Arrests
* * * * *
October 14, 2019
The wind turbines were scheduled to be trucked from Kalaeloa to Kahuku overnight Sunday Oct 13 but they were blocked by protesters. Now protesters are blocking the wind turbines for a second night at both the exit from Kalaeloa and the entrance to the Kahuku wind site. Highways are scheduled to be closed for the shipment (see HDoT news release below).
Ku Kia`i Kahuku -- ʻAʻole to proposed Na Pua Makani Wind Farm
Ililani Media Oct 15, 2019: … The transportation of the blades was scheduled to begin last night.
“Due to the size of the transports, Kamehameha Highway (Route 83) between Waimea Bay and Kawela Beach Road will be closed daily between 12 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. beginning Monday, Oct. 14...Special Duty Police Officers will be on-site to assist with traffic control and safety procedures. Emergency vehicles, first responders and TheBus have been notified.”
A couple hundred people gathered at night, sitting on the roadside, blocking any possibility of moving the wind blades. No arrests were made.
KITV reported, “The protest is a result of ten years of community opposition "during which time the government failed to act to protect Kahuku residents from the harm these turbines will cause to residents and wildlife," according to organizers. "This small town of 2,300 people will be surrounded by 20 industrial turbines and unfairly bear the burden of having 40% of all the existing turbines on O'ahu in its backyard."
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser quoted Kananiloaanuenue Ponciano, president of Ku Kiai Kahuku.
“We do plan to stand our ground because our kids and our kupuna and our community, they’re important to us and we plan to stay out there for as long as we have to to ensure the safety of our people and our community and Native Hawaiian wildlife.”
Hawai`i News Now reported on the protest. “Dozens of opponents had gathered along Kamehameha Highway hours before the scheduled transport. Some were sitting in chairs that had been taped and chained together on a side road leading up to the site where AES Corporation plans to build eight new wind turbines.”
“`Our stand is just to stop the turbines and to make our voices heard for once. We’ve been fighting this fight for 10 years. From the very beginning, we’ve tried to stop the turbines. No one wanted to listen,ʻ said Kamalani Keliikuli, vice president of Ku Kiai Kahuku.”
read … Ku Kia`i Kahuku -- ʻAʻole to proposed Na Pua Makani Wind Farm
Protesters block construction of AES's Na Pua Makani wind farm
PBN Oct 14, 2019: Plans to transport heavy equipment and parts for AES's Na Pua Makani wind farm to a Kahuku site overnight Sunday were put on hold after opponents of the project gathered at the AES yard in Kalaeloa to peacefully protest and block the transport.
The company's plan was to move the large parts for the turbines from Sunday to Thursday night between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. when the impact on traffic would be minimal.
“After considering a multitude of factors in real-time last night, we decided to hold back to ensure we can safely execute the component transport to Na Pua Makani with as minimal disruption to residents as possible," Mark Miller, AES chief operating officer for US generation said to PBN in a statement. "We are coordinating a complex move that relies on collaboration with government agencies, such as the Honolulu Police Department and Department of Transportation, to keep the roads and community-at-large are safe as we make our way up to the North Shore."…
SA: AES had expected deliveries starting Sunday night would continue over the next seven weeks
read … Protesters block construction of AES's Na Pua Makani wind farm
Coverage of first blockade:
Related: Wind Farms Could Drive Bats to Extinction
Ku Kiai Kahuku, “We are Kahuku, A’ole Turbines!” Oct 11, 2019
* * * * *
FULL CLOSURE OF KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY BETWEEN LANIAKEA AND SUNSET BEACH SCHEDULED FOR EARLY MORNING HOURS OF OCT. 10
News Release from HDoT, Oct 8, 2019
There will be additional roving closures on nearby routes starting from Wednesday Oct. 9
HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) notifies Oahu motorists of a full closure of Kamehameha Highway (Route 83) between Laniakea Beach and Sunset Beach between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m., Thursday morning, Oct. 10. In addition to this full closure there will be overnight roving closures between 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 and 3 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, on the following state routes:
- H-1 Freeway eastbound between Kalaeloa Boulevard and the Kamehameha Highway Offramp
- Kamehameha Highway (Route 99) northbound between the H-1 eastbound and Ka Uka Boulevard to the H-2 Freeway
- H-2 Freeway northbound from Ka Uka Boulevard to Wilikina Drive
- From Wilikina Drive the closures will continue northbound using Kamananui Road and the Joseph P. Leong Bypass
The timetable for the closures is:
- 11 p.m. – 12 a.m., Roving right lane on the eastbound H-1 Freeway from Kalaeloa Boulevard to the northbound Kamehameha Highway offramp (Exit 8C), then a right turn onto Ka Uka Boulevard to the northbound H-2 Freeway, continue onto Wilikina Drive and a right onto Kamananui Road and back onto the northbound Kamehameha Highway (Route 99).
- 12 a.m. – 2 a.m., Closure of Kamehameha Highway (Route 83) in both directions from Laniakea Beach to Sunset Beach. A shuttle for TheBus will be provided from Turtle Bay to Haleiwa. Emergency vehicles and first responders will be let through the area.
- 2 a.m. – 3 a.m., Roving right lane closure on Kamehameha Highway from Sunset Beach to Kahuku.
The permitted closures are for the Na Pua Makani Windfarm Project. For more information, please visit the project website at napuamakanihawaii.org. All work is weather permitting.
Electronic message boards will be posted to notify motorists of the closures. Special Duty Police Officers will be on-site to assist with traffic control and safety procedures. Emergency vehicles, first responders and TheBus have been notified. Motorists are advised to allow for extra travel time to get to their destinations
###