The tenuous truce between the establishment and the Occupy D.C. encampment at McPherson Square seems to be fraying.

This week, Mayor Vince Gray told NBC 4 that the large-scale protests along K Street and the subsequent arrest of 62 people (not to mention 12 more at the Supreme Court) were a step too far in the city’s permissive relationship with the protesters. (It remains to be seen whether Gray, a fervent advocate of D.C. voting rights, is swayed by the three protesters that launched a hunger strike for budgetary and legislative autonomy this week.)

“We arrested 62 people [Wednesday] for breaking the law. We’re not going to tolerate that. People are increasingly losing their patience because of the infringement on business, as they see it, here in the city,” he told Tom Sherwood.

Jim Dinegar, CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, went even further yesterday on the Kojo Nnamdi Show, saying that the city was being abused by the protesters, that the McPherson Square encampment would likely drive away tourists and that it would remain a “toxic waste dump” even after the occupiers clear out. He also complained that the city’s permissive attitude was making Occupy D.C. the refuge of last resort for protesters evicted in other cities.

While Gray was somewhat measured in his comments, Dinegar really let loose, complaining about the potential for violence — he mentioned the likelihood of stabbings — at the McPherson Square encampment. He also noted that the Wednesday protests along K Street coincided with an event he attended with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He certainly has the right to be annoyed, but engaging in such hyperbole (not to mention highlighting an event with a controversial figure like Kissinger) doesn’t do his cause much justice.

According to the Post’s Mike DeBonis, other local business leaders are being a little more choosy with their words. “This is unprecedented and uncharted territory. We are watching and monitoring what’s going on, and we’ll continue to do that until somebody makes a determination that they will be allowed to stay for an indefinite amount of time or whether they will be asked to leave,” he quoted Karyn LeBlanc, director of communication for the Downtown Business Improvement District, as saying.