Mayor Bloomberg Tells NYC Protesters to Leave…Temporarily

After waffling on whether he would eventually kick the Occupy Wall St. protesters out of NYC's Zuccotti Park -- the temporary home of the protesters -- Bloomberg is finally taking a stand and informed the protesters they would have to leave on Friday. Sort of. It's only temporary.

The company that owns the private park (but that is open to the public) sent a letter expressing concern over the condition of the park, concerned with both the park's appearance and the unsanitary conditions.

Brookfield Office Properties sent the letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelley on October 11 asking for his assistance to clear the park so it could be cleaned and repaired:

Brookfield's Letter to NYPD asking to "clear" Zuccotti Park of Occupy Wall Street protesters

That letter led Bloomberg to address the protesters on Wednesday night, informing them the would have to leave:

But does that mean they have to leave for good? It doesn't appear that way. A statement from Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Halloway said the protesters would be allowed to return once the park is cleaned:

Deputy Mayor Holloway's Statement about Mayor Bloomberg and Zuccotti Park

The Associated Press characterized Bloomberg's visit as offering the protesters his "assurances."

Still, it remains to be seen how the protesters will treat the impending action. Will they trust that they can return, or will they see it as a way for the city to break up their occupation. Either way, the mayor does seem worried about their reaction.

UPDATE:

The protesters are now refusing to move, according to Reuters:

Anti-Wall Street protesters threatened on Thursday to block any efforts by clean-up crews to enter their camp to clear away three-weeks worth of debris, raising anxiety about a potential showdown between demonstrators and police.

[...]

Occupy Wall Street pledged to resist any effort by cleaning crews or police to enter the park, asking protesters to create a human chain around the area to "peacefully/non-violently stand our ground," according to a post on its Facebook page.