Occupy Atlanta protesters camped in Woodruff Park readied themselves Monday to go to jail -- but the city wasn't ready to put them there.
A late-afternoon deadline set by Mayor Kasim Reed last week came and went with nothing more than a belated statement from the mayor extending the protesters' permission to camp in the park until Nov. 7.
Chants of "Our park! Our park!" spread along with high fives as word of the mayor's action made its way through the ranks of protesters.
A few minutes later, more than 100 people gathered in a big circle for the official announcement. It was led by protester Malcolm McKenzie, who paused every few words to let those close to him repeat his words in unison so those farther away could hear.
"We have ... We have ... some great ... some great ... news ... news! We're staying ... We're staying."
McKenzie also announced that protesters had made a concession -- to keep the noise down at night in consideration of nearby residents.
Group members welcomed the city's action but continued to stress their demands for sweeping financial and economic change.
"We are happy that Mayor Kasim Reed and the City Council can now spend the next three weeks on solving the problems that brought us to the park, instead of trying to figure out a way to get us out," said Tim Franzen, 34, who often speaks for the group.
"We're hoping that the city starts dealing with the wealth disparity, the joblessness, the double-digit unemployment, the home foreclosures and the homelessness."
Franzen stressed that the protesters will not leave simply because the city asks them to. "This is an act of civil disobedience," he said. "He [the mayor] is not giving us anything."
For his part, Reed was careful to emphasize that the encampment must remain peaceful and orderly. If not, his statement said, "the city is prepared to act swiftly should the situation in the park so warrant."
About a half hour before the reprieve came, organizers in the park invited protesters to go to the medic tent and fill out "jail support form" if they were willing to be arrested. Those who volunteered put down their contact information, medical needs and dietary needs.
Finally, at about 6:15, Reed issued a statement that began: "Civil disobedience is an appropriate form of expression, provided that it is peaceful, non-violent and lawful." Because the protesters have met those requirements, the statement continued, Reed had decided to extend an executive order allowing them to camp for three more weeks.
The mayor had been laying the groundwork for the extension for a couple of days, saying that he never meant Monday's deadline to be hard and fast.
On day 10 of Occupy Atlanta, the number of tents and participants continued to swell. There were about 70 tents, up from about 50 late last week.
"We plan on staying here and staying strong," said Everic Dupuy, 27, of Atlanta, working the welcome booth. "We feel our message has not been heard yet."
Some, however, have heard more than enough.
"We've gotten numerous complaints as to what they're doing," said Ivory Lee Young Jr., who chairs the City Council's public safety committee. "If you're going to occupy, occupy with purpose. What they're doing appears to be nothing more than a camp-out."
Young said that if Occupy Atlanta would articulate a clearer message about how it plans to help 99 percent of Americans, support would grow. But as of now, the protesters are "wasting the public's time," he said.
At the park, Allie Brown, 24, of Norcross, strummed her guitar at the edge of the gathering. She was playing Christian folk music, but nobody seemed to notice she was protesting the protesters, who she called "just a hodgepodge of people wanting to complain."
One person tipped her for her playing.
Area businesses and residents expressed mixed feelings about the protest presence in the park.
At Anatolia Cafe across Peachtree Street, owner Emir Gungoren said he would be happy if the assembly dispersed Monday.
The gathering has not helped or hurt business, he said, but more homeless people have come into or hung out near the cafe, drawn to the area by the encampment.
"Last week one of them pulled a knife on a worker, and another swung a pole at my mother," he said.
But the barbers in the shop next door said they support the protesters and wish them success.
"I think it's a good thing -- people pulling together to get some kind of change," said barber Scott Echols, 39.
Courtney Barlament, 23, a biology and chemistry student who lives across the street from the park, was out of patience with the campers.
"It's kind of annoying. It's ruining the park and turning it into a mud pit," she said.
But Patrick Puglisi, 42, who also lives across the street, was more forbearing. "They're a nuisance but a nuisance I can live with," he said.
Reed's statement said the mayor is sensitive to the concerns of residents and business owners. It noted that protesters had voluntarily complied Saturday with a request from the city to help clean the park.
"The city will continue to maintain the park during the demonstration," the statement said. "My administration also will work with Occupy Atlanta members to minimize noise levels after 9 p.m. as a courtesy to downtown residents."
Staff writers Fran Jeffries and John Spink contributed to this article.
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