The deputy mayor of New York says officials have postponed the planned clean up of a financial district park where Occupy Wall Street protesters have been camped for a month.

The protesters had earlier been told to leave privately-owned Zucotti Park by early Friday morning so the owners could clean the area, which they say has become filthy during the occupation.

But the demonstrators vowed to ignore the ultimatum out of fear they would not be allowed back in the park. The company previously said it would ask police to arrest the demonstrators if they failed to leave.

Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway said Friday the park's owners were calling off the clean-up in the belief they could reach an agreement with the protesters to ensure the grounds remain “clean, safe, available for public use.”

Demonstrators cheered when the news of postponement broke.

The protesters launched a last-minute clean-up effort on Thursday in an effort to convince the company to reverse its decision.

The Occupy Wall Street movement began on September 17 with a small group of activists accusing Corporate America of fostering a growing economic divide between the wealthy and the poor and middle class. The number of protesters has grown with each passing day, capturing the attention of news outlets and inspiring similar demonstrations across the U.S.

The New York protesters have had a few confrontations with police, including a mass arrest of protesters marching across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge last week.