Hawaii Governor David Ige said in a recent statement that the attempts made by protestors of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to block the road to the summit of Mauna Kea were unlawful and unacceptable. He said state will make very possible step to ensure that the road remains accessible.

Governor said the state continues to assess and monitor the situation to ensure that the safety of the people on Mauna Kea is maintained.

A dozen of people were arrested and charged with obstructing. Jodi Leong, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, said in a statement that she did not have any details about the arrests being made.

Ige in a statement on Friday said that the state will make every possible effort to ensure that the road is accessible, and the work is resumed.

As per officials the road was blocked by the protestors with rocks and boulders. They called it an act of vandalism.

The $1.4 billion TMT project is planned atop a mountain, which Hawaiian considers is sacred. Ige says the state values the telescope and its contribution to the society.

He further said that his administration is in full support of the project and gave the project all possible rights to proceed.

University of Hawaii spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said protestations were heading up the mountain on Friday to remove the stones that were placed to block the road to the summit.

Ige has responded to the protests, saying Hawaii must do a better job of caring for the mountain but that construction crews have the right to proceed.

Governor Ige said the closure is authorized under the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan, which allows the University of Hawai'i to close the road when hazardous conditions or emergencies arise.