Below $3k is as hard to manipulate as above $12k. The $3k mark is the price from 1st August 2017, a historic date for bitcoin, which was when BCH had forked from it. Below $3k is the area from the other bear market, the one from 2013, and the consequent recovery and bull-run.

Those who bought above $3k will likely not sell below it, as it is too cheap.
Those who bought below $3k but didnt suffer the 2013 bear market will also not sell it, as they probably experimented the 2017 bubble and consequent crash.
Those who bought below $3k and did suffer the 2013 bear market have already sold if they wanted to. They are early adopters and if they weren't in DCA the prices from 2018 and 2019 would look high to them.

So its hard to bring the price below $3k. I read that 60 billion dollars were withdrawn from the bitcoin markets in the recent manipulation. The bearwhales will make much less if they dump it to three digits, and might not work after all.

I saw the price touching the $3000s last night, and only lasted a few minutes. People will flock to buy in.