Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim reportedly proposed through an unnamed law enforcement official that the protesters pack up and leave Mauna Kea, but one of the group’s leaders Kahookahi Kanuha flatly rejected that idea this afternoon.

However, a spokeswoman for Kim said today that no such offer or proposal was made by Kim.

Media reports that Kim had pledged that no construction equipment would move up the mountain if the protesters vacated their camp are “inaccurate,” said Kim spokeswoman Janet Snyder.

Kanuha said told reporters at a press conference on the mountain this afternoon that it is clear neither the state nor Kim have the power to stop the development of the Thirty Meter Telescope.

He called on the international consortium that is backing the $1.4 billion TMT to abandon the project, saying the protesters will not allow construction to proceed.

“Again, we call upon TMT, go to the Canary Islands. We are not willing to negotiate. We are not willing to compromise. Compromises have been made over and over and over again for the last 50 years through the mismanagement of Mauna Kea and way beyond,” Kanuha said.

“We will not allow TMT vehicles up, we will continue to monitor the road and ensure that Mauna Kea remains safe from further desecration,” he said.

An estimated 1,000 TMT opponents remained at the intersection of Mauna Kea Access Road today attending improvised classes on Hawaiian culture and language and listening to chants and prayers.

There are now 13 observatories on and around the summit of Mauna Kea, and activists oppose any further construction on the mountain, which many Hawaiians consider sacred.