(MintPress) – Since activists with Occupy Homes Minnesota began rallying against the foreclosure of the Cruz family home on South Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, they’ve been targeted by city police not only as a nuisance, but as criminals, resulting in arrests, detentions and an overall aggressive atmosphere.

Since May, 37 people have been arrested rallying on the home’s property. And while police would like to portray them as radicals intent on destroying the home, that’s far from the case.

Neighbors and fellow community members say they’re rallying for the Cruz family because they care, and they share the mentality that when one member of a community loses their home, it affects the entire neighborhood.

Mark Freeman, a Minneapolis resident who has successfully battled the banks in the foreclosure process, is one member of Occupy Homes passionate about this issue. As he sees it, when one house goes under, it affects everyone in the community. When the tax base loses a member of the neighborhood, it impacts everyone, he argues, including the schools.

“The banks are taking our homes and throwing us in the streets,” Freeman told a crowd gathered at the home Thursday. “I’m not going to let it happen. I am going to hold the bankers and the politicians accountable. This is America, where we need to take care of our families and our neighbors.”

Thursday evening, activists who have already undergone arrest gathered at the Cruz family home once again, careful to stay on the sidewalk — a zone where they are, technically, protected, as it is a public space.

But people like Lisa Boland know that’s not always true.

Widespread arrests don’t deter activists

Boland’s story is a bit different than other activists. She lives just blocks away from the Cruz family and was first inspired to act, not necessarily as an activist, but as a concerned community member.

When she learned of the couple’s plight in May, she decided to craft a sign and head over to the home in support of her neighbors. And so she did, expecting to lend her voice to the dozens of others. But her voice wasn’t necessarily tolerated. While holding a protest sign one block away from the Cruz family home, she was arrested on charges relating to the obstruction of the peace.

“I didn’t expect to get arrested that day,” Boland said in an interview with MintPress.

She’s now in the process of contesting her charges, which has created not only a headache in her life, but has also taken time away from her family and career as a real estate agent.

Others arrested, however, did so knowing there was a risk — one worth taking, in their eyes.

At a rally held in June, 13 people were arrested when they crossed the police line onto the Cruz home property, which was technically under ownership of the bank at that time. More than two dozen police officers gathered that day for a crowd that didn’t amount to much more than that.

A video of the arrest shows community members, one by one, declaring their opposition to the foreclosure process, and then turning around to the cross the line, where each one was arrested, seemingly for trespassing.

Professional hip hop musician Brother Ali, whose formal name is Ali Douglas Newman, was among those arrested that June evening. Having never been arrested before, he did so in a symbolic stance, not only for those in Minnesota, but for those across the nation falling victim to the foreclosure crisis.

“I think there was a need for us to make this bold statement,” Ali told Twin Cities-based newspaper, the Star Tribune. “People are fighting for justice and for dignity.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by all community members who have dedicated hours and evenings to the cause. They not only want to save the Cruz family, but they want to highlight a system that they feel is unfair. They want real change, and they want America to listen.

Yet when cars drive past a group of people surrounded by police, it’s easy to assume they’re up to no good. The messages written on their signs are lost in translation — but not always. Their movement has remained robust, and they have seen others across the city show their support, recognizing that most of these families aren’t the irresponsible people they’re portrayed to be.

In the case of the Cruz family, an online payment processing order didn’t go through, leaving them two months behind their mortgage. While they were able to work their way to good standing, it was too late. They had made some headway with PNC Bank, but their property was then taken over by Freddie Mac, which received $45 billion through the government bailout. Freddie Mac has consistently refused negotiations with the Cruz family.

Why are police so concerned?

Thursday’s Occupy Homes rally at the Cruz family home in Minneapolis was refreshing for many activists, as it was the first time they gathered without the presence of police.

Activists told MintPress they felt liberated knowing they could freely gather in support of the Cruz family and listen to the words of Honkala without fearing arrest. Yet some at the gathering still used caution when it came to stepping on the front lawn of the Cruz home, acknowledging that, like before, that same action warranted their arrest.

When asked why they believe the police presence at the Cruz home has been so strong, the activists largely pointed to the power — and money — of the big banks which now technically own the property. Questioning why dozens of police are needed for a peaceful community gathering, activists speculated the influence of money played a role.

A request to speak with the Minneapolis Police Department regarding the arrests was not successful by the time this story went to press.

And while it was seen as a mild success that police were absent from the scene, many involved in Occupy Homes are still facing the legal challenges that have come about through their grassroots campaigning. And just as they’ve rallied behind one another to save the homes of families in their communities, they’re rallying around one another through the legal challenges, as well, lending support and guidance along the way — and encouraging one another to never give up the good fight.