Occupy Toronto protesters woke up to a fresh start on Wednesday after their month-long occupation of St. James Park was given a stay of eviction.
A judge issued a court order allowing protesters to continue camping in the downtown park after city bylaw officers issued notices demanding tents and other structures be removed and protesters clear out overnight.
The court order was granted with a condition that no one else is permitted to show up at St. James Park or any new structures be erected on the site. The judge also warned the protesters that if more activists show up it may violate the order.
On Friday, a court hearing will be held for a judge to hear arguments on whether or not the protest can continue in the park. A decision is expected by 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The court order announcement prompted celebration during a late night rally at St. James Park.
Despite assurances from police that they would not clear the park overnight, some feared something would happen overnight.
"We were predicting something was going to happen and instead we just got really tired waiting for something to happen," Occupy Toronto protester Stephonkee Wolscht told CTV Canada AM on Wednesday.
"We are hoping there is a peaceful end to this. We do not want to provoke the police or the government. We will still resist arrest but we will not defend ourselves. We will protect what we have here."
Wolscht said the protesters' work is not yet finished, saying their presence should provoke discussion about how to change how society operates.
On Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said that he hopes the protest remains peaceful and that City staff is working towards that end.
"We are still hoping that the majority of people will leave and that there will not be any violence down there and that there won't be any arrests. I know that is a pretty tall order," he said.
Eviction notices that had been posted around the park on Tuesday state that residents were prohibited from building and maintaining tents or shelters and gathering in the park between midnight at 5 a.m.
The City had said that all tents needed to be removed from the park immediately and that they would take it upon themselves to remove the debris if protesters did not comply with the order.
Tuesday's crackdown in Toronto came shortly after Occupy Wall Street protesters were forced out of a New York City park and told they could no longer camp overnight.
Other Occupy camps in London, Ont., Halifax and Saskatoon have already been evicted and protesters in Calgary have been given notice they must leave their encampment.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford suggested last week that businesses and residents of the area wanted him to dismantle the camp and that they've "had enough" of the protest. The mayor also said that the occupants had made a point and it was time to leave.
The move also comes amid threats purportedly made by a group of Internet vigilantes suggesting they would declare cyber war on the City if it took action against the Occupy Toronto protesters.
In the 90-second video claiming to be from Anonymous, the hacking group said it was prepared to "remove" Toronto from the Internet if Ford took any action to end the downtown occupation.
