Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was in Hawaii Wednesday to support protesters who are trying to stop the construction of a giant telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s tallest mountain.
“I wanted to come here and see our people and stand with them and support them,” Johnson told reporters, CNN affiliate KGMB/KHNL reported.
Johnson’s visit came on the 10th day of protests at the base of Mauna Kea to block construction from starting on the Thirty-Meter Telescope on the mountaintop. Native Hawaiian groups say the mountain, which already hosts a number of telescopes, is sacred.
The actor and former wrestler lived in Hawaii as a child, and offered to help with talks between the state and protesters, the affiliate reported.
Opposition to the construction of the $1.4 billion telescope goes back for years. Construction was supposed to begin in 2015, but stalled amid similar protests.
“What I realized today, and obviously I’ve been following this for years now, is that it’s bigger than a telescope. It’s humanity. It’s culture,” Johnson was reported as saying Wednesday.
