Four Occupy Des Moines protesters were arrested Thursday when they disrupted an auction of foreclosed homes at the Polk County Administrative Building. Marti Doyle was one of 20 protesters who sang and clapped in an effort to stop the sales.

“What is happening in this room is not right,” Doyle said. “People are losing their homes…an average of 54 houses per week get sold at auction due to foreclosure here in Polk county alone.” Occupy activist Jess Mazour was one of the four people who were charged with disorderly conduct.

“We need to realize that it is not the families’ fault anymore. These people are victims of a crisis and they are being persecuted by the very banks that created this crisis,” Mazour said. The protesters managed to postpone the auction for 90 minutes until police arrived.