Many Occupy Wall Street protesters vow not to leave Friday morning when the owner of Zuccotti Park wants them to move as they clean-up the demonstrators' encampment. They claim it's a ploy to evict them. Our Michael Herzenberg has more on the looming standoff.

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NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- Occupy Wall Street protestors who have been camped out in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park for the past several weeks say they are skeptical of a plan to clean the park Friday. The park's owners, Brookfield Properties, gave out notices to protestors this morning telling them to clear out by Friday cleanup.

The cleaning is set to begin at 7 a.m. Friday and will take place in stages, with each part estimated to take around four hours to complete.

Protestors have been encamped in the privately owned park for nearly four weeks, bringing tents, tarps, sleeping bags, couches and even a communal kitchen, all of which are banned by the company's park rules.

During a surprise visit to Zuccotti Park on Wednesday night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg assured protestors that they can return after the park is cleaned. However, the notices include new rules for protestors once they return.

The statement says demonstrators are no longer allowed to use tarps, lay on the ground or on benches, or use sleeping bags. The protesters will also be screened to make sure they are not carrying those forbidden items.

The mayor's office issued a statement Thursday saying in part, "We will continue to defend and guarantee their free speech rights, but those rights do not include the ability to infringe on the rights of others, which is why the rules governing the park will be enforced.”

Throughout Thursday, protesters said they feared the scheduled cleaning will be the first step in trying to get rid of their movement, so they spent the day emptying the park of trash. Protesters and sympathizers were asked on Facebook to use their own cleaning supplies on the plaza.

A protest against the cleaning efforts is set to start at 6 a.m. Friday, and the Working Families Party is also joining efforts to let the protesters remain.

Protesters also said on Facebook that if officials try to remove them from the park, some will form a human chain surrounding their camp.

"Issues of cleanliness I believe are a ruse, a disguise and nothing more than an excuse to end Occupy Wall Street," said Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James.

A Facebook page has even turned up asking people to bring their own cleaning supplies.

"Sometimes freedom smells a little bit, get used to it. We're cleaning ourselves, there's nothing wrong with this park. We've been cleaning it as we go along. Also, from the city, hasn't come down here and put porta-potties up," said one protestor.

"I don't think he will be able to clean this place up. Even if he does, I think the peace that will be lifted up will be planted somewhere else," said another.

"I'm going to stay here as long as possible," said a third. "I'm not going to be punching police and stuff, that's out of control, you know? It's all peaceful, but if I have to be dragged, I have to be dragged."

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said on Thursday that officers will be on hand to make sure the cleanup goes smoothly.

"They now have decided that they want to clean the area and they're going to do that. We'll stand by to make sure the peace is maintained," Kelly said.

Zuccotti Park is privately owned but zoning regulations require the public have 24 hour access.

Kelly said Brookfield Properties will likely screen the protesters before they are allowed back on the lawn to make sure they are not carrying any prohibited items.

Many officials and organizations, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and the AFL-CIO, issued statements Thursday asking for the protesters to be allowed to camp in the park.

The activist organization MoveOn.org also collected hundreds of thousands of signatures on an online petition to stop the official cleaning of Zuccotti Park.