Wall Street Protest Days Could Be Numbered

Mayor Bloomberg was asked Friday whether the protesters on Wall Street could stay indefinitely, and said "we'll see."

The mayor said on his radio show that people have the right to protest, but that the city has a responsibility to keep the streets clean and make sure that others can get where they want to go downtown.

The "Occupy Wall Street" demonstration has been stationed downtown for two weeks, drawing celebrity interests including Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon.

While the main focus of "Occupy Wall Street" is centered on the financial world, those camping out in the park speak to causes covering the political and social spectrum, from supporters of Ron Paul to the anti-war activists of the Granny Peace Brigade. The protest has also included marches, with mixed results. Last Saturday, about 80 people were arrested in tense and sometimes physical interactions with police.

Bloomberg suggested Friday that most Wall Street workers being targeted by the protesters "make $40,000 or $50,000 a year and are struggling to make ends meet."

Video of some of the arrests were posted online, and included scenes that appeared to show officers using pepper spray on protesters who already were cordoned off and officers handcuffing a man after pulling him up off the ground, blood trickling down his face.

The landlord of the park where protesters have been camped out tried to warn them to clear out. Brookfield Properties said it was working to actively "restore Zuccotti Park to its intended purpose" and posted notices restricting tents, sleeping bags and other personal possessions at the park. But the notices have largely been ignored.