The Native Hawaiian actor was protesting against the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope

Bounding Into Comics reports that Aquaman star Jason Momoa had himself photographed “getting arrested” whilst protesting for the preservation of Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea.

A Thirty Meter Telescope is being proposed to be built on the sacred Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea. He was joined by many other Hawaiians as well as his Justice League co-star Ezra Miller in defending the volcano.

The 40-year-old actor then posed for a photo appearing to be handcuffed by four policemen in Hawaii. Clearly the photo is staged, showing Momoa smirking and the policemen smiling.

Momoa’s father is of Native Hawaiian ancestry and has Native American ancestry form his mother’s side. His background inspired his character’s backstory in 2018’s Aquaman.

Speaking to CNN, Momoa said the dormant volcano is considered sacred to locals.

“It’s kind of the umbilical cord to earth,”he said. “You know, if you think about the Hawaiian islands, that’s the biggest mountain in the world, right? All the way up. So Mauna Kea is the most sacred. They call it the belly button, too. That’s like our birth place. You can imagine that in the middle of the ocean. That’s how our islands were formed. So how can that not be sacred?”

“It started in 2015, heard the news about it and you know, it’s, it’s my home. I’m Hawaiian. It’s my nationality. What’s happening over there was just not right,” Momoa continued. “And I wanted to bring awareness to it. And I went over there to meet with everyone and from then on, it’s just been this constant as a devotion to bringing awareness to the world.”

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To all my friends and fans please watch our NEW episode link in bio THIS IS MY HEART Mahalo @cnn for helping me spread the awareness. There is a growing movement in Hawai’i that cuts to the core of native rights to protect sacred lands and ensure the continuation of cultural practices. Mauna Kea was selected for the construction of the massive Thirty Meter Telescope being imposed by the University of California and CalTech along with the countries of Canada, China, Japan, and India. Despite another suitable location beyond Hawai’i, the TMT project is pushing forward to build 18 stories high and bore several stories into the ground over the island’s natural water aquifers in a conservation district. Hawaiians and their supporters have taken a ceremonial peaceful stance in solidarity with people around the world, not as an opposition to science, but as protectors of their sacred and revered mountain. Hawaiian people are truly children of the land, our history and language are infused in it. Our survival depends on what it can provide, and we look to our environment for spiritual guidance, it is part of our ancestral identity. To desecrate Mauna Kea is to do the same to the people. This is why we stand and say, “We are Mauna Kea!” Aloha J

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