OAKLAND, Calif. -- Four tree-sitters who had been living in a tall redwood tree near the University of California, Berkeley's football stadium were charged Thursday with misdemeanor counts of contempt of court for violating a court order and lodging illegally, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Marty Brown said the tree-sitters, who were arrested early Tuesday afternoon at the conclusion of a 21-month protest, were scheduled to be arraigned at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland at 2 p.m.

The protest took place at a grove of trees on the site where the university plans to build a new sports training facility.

UC-Berkeley Police Chief Victoria Harrison has said none of the tree-sitters were university students. She has identified them as Michael Schuck, 26, Raul Colocho, 27, Armando Resendez, 20, d Ernesto Trevino, 18.

During the 21-month standoff, the tree-sitters all took on colorful nicknames. Schuck is also known as "Shem," Colocho is known as "Huckleberry," Resendez as "Mando," and Trevino as "Ernesto."

Brown said Schuck faces an additional misdemeanor criminal contempt charge for allegedly violating an order to stay away from the tree grove after he was arrested in April 2007 for occupying a redwood tree in Sproul Plaza on campus.

The tree-sitters said they agreed to come down from their perch high in the branches of one of the two remaining redwoods on the condition that the University of California create a land use committee that will include input from students and residents into the school's future land decisions.

But a UC spokesman said there was never such a deal made, and the university has no plans for the committee.

School officials had said they were prepared to forcibly remove the activists and had constructed scaffolding around the tree to mount the effort.

As the scaffolding took shape Tuesday, protesters indicated they were willing to descend, Harrison said.

Early Tuesday afternoon, the protesters slowly climbed down to cheers from supporters below.

They were arrested immediately by police and face charges including trespassing and violating a court order, authorities said. Five other demonstrators on the ground also were arrested and face charges including resisting police officers.

The protest began in late 2006 in an effort to prevent the school from clearing a grove to make room for the new sports center.

Other opponents, including the city of Berkeley, filed suit, charging the project violated environmental and earthquake safety regulations. Memorial Stadium, which is next to the training center and scheduled for renovation under the next phase of the project, is bisected by the Hayward fault.

Protesters cycled in and out of the trees during the early months, but later were forced into a single redwood as campus officials stepped up their eviction efforts.

After many legal battles, the school got court clearance last week to begin building. By Tuesday morning, arborists had cut down 40 of the 42 trees marked for the removal. The final two that remained included the occupied redwood and another redwood officials plan to transplant.