ST. LOUIS • If this morning's events are any indicator, it looks increasingly unlikely that Occupy St. Louis protesters will leave their camp at downtown's Kiener Plaza without a fight.

Friday, Mayor Francis Slay warned the group that it was violating several city laws. He said complaints were building and, with bad weather approaching and other events scheduled in the plaza this month, it was time for an end to the occupiers' "tenure."

The city's parks department had even prepared a list of ordinance violations to present to the group.

But, this morning, Occupy St. Louis alleged that Slay's announcement was just another instance where the city bent to corporate leaders. This time, said the unsigned statement on the Occupy St. Louis website, it was the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis who had swayed the mayor's decisions.

"This week, Downtown Partnership met with the mayor's office and told him to shut us down," said the unsigned post. "He responded to their call."

Maggie Campbell, president of the Partnership, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Furthermore, said the statement, the mayor hasn't yet met with occupiers, Kiener plaza doesn't stink of urine, as alleged, and the protesters "have done a remarkable job of maintaining a clean and orderly space."

The statement ended with a list of city transgressions, and something of a threat:

"We have shared the Plaza with other groups on several occasions so far; it is everyone's space and everyone is welcome," it said. "On the other hand, a Macy's display with the occupiers evicted might just be enough to convince many in the area to Occupy the Holidays by shopping only at smaller local businesses."

Jeff Rainford, Slay's chief of staff, refused to say if the city met with the Downtown Partnership last week, but insisted that the complaints are coming from many, not only the Partnership.

"There are lots of people complaining. I'm not going to point at one versus the other," he said. "I'm not going to get into it. What I would prefer not to happen is to have this personalized."

The city, he said, would not meet with occupiers today, nor would it discuss the issue in the press.

"We're gonna cool off," Rainford said this morning. "It's probably going to get inflamed anyway."

"All I'm trying to do is to keep this from becoming Oakland," he said. "I'm trying to get this solved with no violence."

Still, he said, he understood that the occupiers may not have the same plans.