Late last night, protesters at “Occupy Wall Street” were informed that Brookfield Properties had decided to let them stay, despite prior demands that they be evicted so the park could be cleaned.

A statement from New York City Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway explained that the park’s owners were “postponing their scheduled cleaning of the park, and for the time being withdrawing their request from earlier in the week for police assistance during their cleaning operation.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“Our position has been consistent throughout: the City’s role is to protect public health and safety, to enforce the law, and guarantee the rights of all New Yorkers,” Holloway explained. “Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters that will ensure the park remains clean, safe, available for public use and that the situation is respectful of residents and businesses downtown, and we will continue to monitor the situation.”

Upon hearing the news, the crowd erupted in a chant of, “The people, united, will never be defeated!” An organizer attributed the delay to the size of the crowd amassed at Zuccotti Park and the property owners’ willingness to work out a compromise.

The video below is from YouTube, published Friday, Oct. 14, 2011.