The city of Halifax says they have to clear out of Grand Parade by November 6, but protesters with Occupy Nova Scotia haven't decided whether they're going to leave just yet.

The protesters have been camping out in the downtown square for 12 days and so far the movement has been peaceful. But yesterday a statement was issued from the city saying they need to leave before Remembrance Day ceremonies begin.

"We have respected the protesters' right to peaceful assembly, they have made their issues known, and now it is time for them to return the Grand Parade to the people of HRM," said Mayor Peter Kelly in a statement that was issued late Tuesday afternoon.

Roughly 5,000 veterans and Halifax residents attend the ceremony - which is the largest annual ceremonial event in the municipality – in Grand Parade each year. But right now the space is filled with tents, signs and protesters.

However, the protesters say they have no intention of interfering with Remembrance Day ceremonies and they hope they can come to an agreement with the city.

"We're exploring our options in terms of how we might be able to have a dialogue with city hall about maybe what we can do to compromise, and how we can work together," says protester Stuart Caldwell.

But some veterans say the city should have pushed the group out days ago, while still others believe they never should have occupied the space, which is also home to a cenotaph, in the first place.

"People should not be occupying that space, and with November 11 coming up, it's going to really perturb a lot of veterans that their people want to occupy that space for that length of time," says Korean War veteran J.J. Reilly.

The city has offered up the Halifax Common, which has access to washrooms and lots of street and pedestrian traffic, as an alternative space for the Occupy Nova Scotia group. But area resident Kevin Hobin says that would simply mean the city is moving a problem from one place to another.

"The protesters are certainly the same type of individual that I've seen on Spring Garden Road and, you know, panhandling around the city," says Hobin, who walks through the Halifax Common daily. "So it comes into question, what is the legitimacy of this protest?"

There is also a question of what will happen if the protesters refuse to vacate Grand Parade. Right now, they aren't sure what their plan is, but the mayor doesn't believe a forced evacuation will be necessary.

"Based upon their past performance and their response, we don't expect any issues," says Kelly. "We're being optimistic that we will be able to resolve this."

Meanwhile, protesters with the Occupy movement have set up camp in other parts of the Maritimes. Roughly 30 people have set up tents and tarps inside King's Square in Saint John.

The city says it has no plans to evict the group, but protesters there say they are getting a mixed reaction from the rest of the community.

"Sure you get the very loud and vocal minority who say things like ‘why don't you occupy a job' and the likes of that, but there's actually a lot of people who support us and are on our side," says protester Chris Daly.

Daly says the group is trying to raise awareness of the high rates of poverty in Saint John. He also says that despite the forecast for colder weather, staying in the square during the winter months is not out of the question.

But some protesters in Fredericton feel differently. The group in New Brunswick's capital city is continuing a vigil outside of city hall, but some say they plan to move to a warmer location before winter hits.

While the occupiers there have no plans to leave anytime soon, they say they won't fight any peaceful attempts to make them move.

"I don't think people would fight, I don't think people are going to turn violent," says protester Madeleine Berrevoets. "We're all peaceful people and it's a peaceful protest, so I wouldn't be concerned about what people are going to do here."

"I'd be concerned about what city hall is going to do, and what government's are going to do, but not what these people are going to do."

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw