STATE : Bid by Protesters on Crane Rejected

Three animal rights activists remained atop a 160-foot crane today after University of California officials turned down their bid to end the unusual sit-in that started six days ago.

The three offered Sunday to come down if the school dropped all charges against them. “We said, ‘Absolutely not,’ ” said John Cummins, assistant to the chancellor. “We are going to wait them out.” The protesters originally numbered six when they climbed the crane last Tuesday in an effort to stop construction of a new campus research facility. The university won a court order Friday that ordered them to stop the protest. Four climbed down, but one went back with a new supply of food Saturday morning.