NYers to Occupy protesters: Lay off the drums

Updated at 1:37 p.m. ET

NEW YORK - New Yorkers who live near the park where anti-Wall Street protesters have been camping out for more than a month are complaining that their quality of life has declined.

At a two-hour meeting Thursday night, some neighbors said protesters urinated in the streets and beat drums in the middle of the night.

(At left, watch a report from CBS News station WCBS-TV in New York)

Some neighbors who attended the packed meeting called for the protesters to vacate Zuccotti Park, the concrete plaza where protesters have set up their base camp.

"Our neighbors do not urinate and defecate in the street," said resident Linda Fairstein, WCBS-TV reports. "These occupiers need to vacate our neighborhood."

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But the board voted unanimously for a resolution that recognized the protesters' First Amendment rights while calling for a crackdown on noise and public urination and defecation.

Three local elected officials praised the resolution in a statement Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and state Sen. Daniel Squadron called the community board's resolution "an attempt to establish a sensible framework that respects the protesters' fundamental rights while addressing the very real quality of life concerns for residents and businesses around Zuccotti Park."

Asked about Occupy Wall Street on WOR radio on Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the protesters' leaderless structure has made it difficult to negotiate with them.

Bloomberg also said Friday that the NYPD will have to do more to enforce the rules that require permits for demonstrators to stage marches and rallies, WCBS-TV reports.

"We're trying to find solutions to all the problems, and I'm not trying to duck it, it is the city's problem, and we will make a decision," he said. "It's just not so easy. You can't just walk in and say, 'You're out of here.'"

While many who live near the park have complained about noise and other quality of life issues, they say they support the protesters' right to free speech.

Community Board 1 also said it opposed the use of force by police or the park's owners to address their concerns.

Occupy Wall Street spokesman Han Shan, who has served as a liaison between protesters and local elected officials, agreed the protesters needed to be better neighbors.

Demonstrators plan on instituting a "good neighbor policy," WCBS-TV reports. The rules will limit times for drumming and include a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of property.

But some residents aren't convinced.

"I think the good neighbor policy is, quite frankly, laughable," another resident said at Thursday's meeting. "A neighbor pays rent, mind you. These people do not pay rent to live there. A neighbor works in the city and pays their state and city income tax. It's disgusting, and as someone in my age group, I'm embarrassed by what they're saying."

Meanwhile, demonstrators planned two marches for Friday and another big rally for Saturday.