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Russell Simmons offered to pay for Occupy Wall Street cleanup

Russell Simmons attends the "CULO By Mazzucco" launch on Oct. 9, 2011, in New York. Getty

(CBS) When New York City officials announced they wanted to clear Zuccotti Park to give it a cleaning after weeks of "hosting" Occupy Wall Street protesters, many feared it was a move to evict them and could lead to further clashes between police and demonstrators. Preemptively, rap impresario Russell Simmons stepped in and offered to foot the bill for the plaza's cleanup.

"Dear [NYC Mayor] @MikeBloomberg -- I will pay for cleanup of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation," he tweeted Thursday night. "I don't wanna go to jail but I will be there ready!"

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Ultimately, the rap mogul didn't have to pay up, nor was he arrested - protesters spent Thursday cleaning the park themselves, in an effort to stave off being evicted from the area. On Friday morning, it was announced the owner of the private park, Brookfield Office Properties, had put off the cleaning and that protesters could stay.

Simmons, who has been a vocal supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, said Thursday that he has been to the protesters' camp 15 times. On Friday morning, he was back again.

"At zuccotti park," he tweeted. "Am glad that city is not evicting the protesters the morning. The movement continues."

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