New York ( CNN ) -- Protesters will resist any efforts to remove them from the Lower Manhattan park where they have been camped for nearly a month , despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg 's order that they vacate the park at 7 a.m. Friday so it can be cleaned , an organizer said Thursday . `` Come tomorrow morning , we will passively resist and make it as difficult a process to remove us as possible , '' said Occupy Wall Street spokesman Tyler Combelic . `` It 's not an occupation if you ca n't occupy the park . '' His words appeared to be backed up by the sentiment of the crowd of more than 1,000 protesters who filled Zuccotti Park Thursday night . `` All day ! All week ! Occupy Wall Street ! '' they chanted . Combelic called the mayor 's announcement a `` not-so-veiled attempt '' to force protesters from the park , setting up a possible confrontation with authorities . Protesters descended on the privately owned park near the New York Stock Exchange on September 17 to protest the nation 's ailing economy . `` You want to clean up something ? Clean up these crooks on Wall Street , '' said City Council Member Charles Barron . Daniel Mintz of MoveOn.Org said he was planning to deliver to Bloomberg more than 350,000 petitions and signatures he received Thursday from supporters around the nation . `` The mayor would do a lot better cleaning up Wall Street than cleaning up the plaza , '' he said . `` The park is clean , '' said Letitia James , a councilwoman from Brooklyn . `` The issue of cleanliness is a ruse , a disguise and nothing more than an excuse to end OWS . '' Some protesters could be seen sweeping up debris . Others said they have used donated funds to clean the park . A number of unions have pledged to support demonstrations cropping up in cities nationwide . Maida Rosenstein , president of UAW local 2110 , said members of her chapter planned to gather at the park at 7 a.m. , when the cleaning is scheduled to begin . `` If the mayor thinks he 's going to evict these protesters and end these protests , he needs to know that New Yorkers are watching , '' Rosenstein said . `` The unions are going to be there tomorrow and are also watching . '' Bloomberg met Wednesday with protesters and told them that the decision to clean the park was made after owners voiced concerns about `` unsanitary conditions and considerable wear and tear on the park . '' `` The mayor is a strong believer in the First Amendment and believes that the protesters have a right to continue to protest , '' Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway said in a written statement . But the situation in the park is `` not in the best interests of the protesters , residents or the city , '' he said . The cleaning is to be done in stages , and protesters will be allowed to return to the park as areas are cleaned if they obey the rules set forth by the owners , Brookfield Properties , the statement said . `` The park has not been cleaned in four weeks , a process that is normally undertaken every night , '' Brookfield said Thursday in a statement . `` Our goal is to keep the park clean , safe , and accessible to all . '' A walk in the park Thursday night found it in orderly shape . The only distinctive smell was an occasional waft of marijuana smoke . Loads of cardboard boxes holding clothes and other personal belongings were neatly tied up in one area ; garbage bags were piled in garbage-collection areas ; a number of people were cleaning up . Authorities have distributed a pamphlet at the park outlining a list of rules for protesters after the scheduled cleanup . The rules prohibit camping or pitching tents ; lying on the ground or on benches ; placing tarps or sleeping bags on the ground ; using bicycles , skateboards or skates ; and storing personal property that interferes with park use . Zuccotti Park was built for the general public , but the weeks-long protest has raised concerns among area business owners and residents about sanitation . The protest campaign began in July with the launch of a campaign website calling for a march and a sit-in at the New York Stock Exchange . For almost a month , demonstrations have addressed such issues as police brutality , union busting and the economy , the group said . Organizers have taken inspiration from this year 's Arab Spring protests that swept through North Africa and the Middle East . Crowds have taken up residence in the park in New York 's financial district , and organizers have called for 20,000 people to flood the area for a `` few months . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Anna Gonzalez and Vivienne Foley contributed to this report .
`` It 's not an occupation if you ca n't occupy the park , '' spokesman says . Comment: Cleaning of Zuccotti Park is scheduled to begin 7 a.m. EDT Friday . Brookfield Properties issues a list of rules for Zuccotti Park .