As I pointed out in my Economist post, public attitudes toward the Occupy movement have gone south. I think the evidence supports the proposition that keeping up the camping is counterproductive, unhealthy if you will, for the Occupy movement. And I don't think it's hard to understand why the Occupiers have so swiftly lost anything resembling a populist mandate. Like I've said, the movement is audaciously presumptuous, claiming to represent "the people", even when most people don't want anything to do with it. In many cities (but by no means everywhere), the Occupiers are violating local laws and ordinances put in place by "the people" through ordinary democratic means. They are not only asserting de facto property rights over public spaces, but are creating significant public expense at a time when municipalities are stretched thin. It's not surprising that many citizens resent this, and it's hard to see the strategic upside of aggravating people further.