The fight to stop the building of a 30-meter telescope on top of Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano has received support from Bob Marley's youngest son, performer Damian Marley.
At 13,803 feet, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in Hawaii. It's located on the Big Island. Measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world (33,000 feet).
It's considered a sacred site to native Hawaiians. Many have protested the project, which was supposed to begin in July. Arrests have been made.
Marley arrived on July 28 to show his support. He sang "Get Up, Stand Up" and "Crazy Baldheads," two of his father's songs, and stated:
"Hawaii has a very special place in my heart. It's one of the first places that ever really embraced my music. The cause that we're here for is a very important one: To protect indigenous land and indigenous culture. We're familiar with this kind of struggle when it comes to trying to stand up for our heritage and our culture and traditions and history. I'm honored to be here."
Marley likens the Mauna Kea struggle to the Cockpit Mountains in Jamaica, where digging for bauxite and limestone would jepoardize the historic region.
Marley has won four Grammy Awards, most recently for Stony Hill (Best Reggae Album) in 2017.
