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Telescope protesters agree to take down tent on Mauna Kea

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2015, file photo, Kupono Mele-Ana-Kekua, who opposes the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, blows a conch shell near the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island. People protesting the construction of the giant telescope on Mauna Kea, a Hawaiian mountain they hold sacred, are decrying the destruction of a stone altar they built near the construction site. The altar known as an ahu was built June 24, the day hundreds of protesters prevented construction crews from reaching the telescope site. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2015, file photo, Kupono Mele-Ana-Kekua, who opposes the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, blows a conch shell near the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island. People protesting the construction of the giant telescope on Mauna Kea, a Hawaiian mountain they hold sacred, are decrying the destruction of a stone altar they built near the construction site. The altar known as an ahu was built June 24, the day hundreds of protesters prevented construction crews from reaching the telescope site. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File) FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2015, file photo, Kupono Mele-Ana-Kekua, who opposes the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, blows a conch shell near the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island. People protesting the construction of the giant telescope on Mauna Kea, a Hawaiian mountain they hold sacred, are decrying the destruction of a stone altar they built near the construction site. The altar known as an ahu was built June 24, the day hundreds of protesters prevented construction crews from reaching the telescope site. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

HONOLULU (AP) – Protesters against building a giant telescope atop a Hawaiian mountain say they will no longer keep around-the-clock vigil on Mauna Kea.

Protest leaders say they have reached an agreement with the state to take down a large tent where people have been sleeping. The state announced the agreement Thursday.

One of the leaders, Lanakila Mangauil, says they will trust the state to warn protesters when the nonprofit company building the Thirty Meter Telescope plans to resume construction.

Protesters have been camping on the mountain in an attempt to block construction. Construction has stalled since April, and the company hasn’t indicated when it will resume.

Mangauil says it doesn’t mean protesters are giving up. He says they’ll continue to have a presence on the mountain during the day.