A New York judge has issued an order allowing protesters to return to a public park after police cleared the park in an early-morning raid.

The state Supreme Court judge Tuesday issued a court order allowing the Occupy Wall Street protesters to return to Zuccotti Park with their camping gear.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city is appealing the court order.

Bloomberg said the park was cleared for cleaning and because the tents and sleeping bags in the park had created a fire hazard.

Bloomberg said just under 200 people were arrested in the early-morning action, when a large team of police officers wearing helmets and carrying shields forced hundreds of protesters to evacuate. Workers then tore down temporary dwellings and hauled trash away from what had become a small tent city.

The Occupy Wall Street protest began in Zuccotti Park on September 17 with a small group of activists seeking to focus attention on what they see as corporate greed and the increasing gap between the rich and poor across the globe.

A statement by the city and the park's owner said the facility was being temporarily evacuated because of an “increased health and fire safety hazard” to those camped in the park.

Police say most of the protesters left the park peacefully.

The protests have faced a rising number of complaints by local residents and business owners who say the demonstrations have a negative impact on the neighborhood and small businesses.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has gathered momentum and has spawned similar protests in outdoor parks and squares in major cities across the United States, as well as in other countries.