On Thursday, some people were trying to stop workers from going to a telescope construction site on a mountain, which is considered as sacred to Native Hawaiians. Police on the Big Island arrested 12 people in the case.

Hawaii County police said that they took the step as people were carrying out protest on the road leading to Mauna Kea summit. Similar incident happened on Monday and people were warned not to repeat it and those who would block the road would be arrested.

Construction is taking place on the Thirty Meter Telescope, which will be one of the biggest in the world. Native Hawaiians said that they are not against the telescope, but they have objection on the location where it is being built.

Despite the incident, construction workers went to the top and continued their work. Hawaii County police spokeswoman Chris Loos has confirmed the arrest news, but did not provide a specific number.

Kealoha Pisciotta, telescope opponent, said that 15 of the 300 or so were taken into custody. Thirty Meter Telescope project manager Gary Sanders was of the view that they did not have any other option left but to take police action.

Scientists will use the telescope to see 13 billion light years away, providing them a sneak peek into the early years of the universe. The mountaintop is the ideal location for viewing the most distant parts of the universe, believe astronomers.

Last year, similar protests spoiled a groundbreaking and Hawaiian blessing ceremony, but at that time, no one was arrested. Pisciotta said some protestors who yelled during the ceremony in fact later apologized to event organizers.

Native Hawaiian leaders have been meeting and talking about the issue with state officials.