Rapper Brother Ali arrested in Occupy Homes Protest

Minneapolis - Ali Douglas Newman, better known as rapper Brother Ali was arrested Thursday evening along with 13 other protestors at an Occupy Homes Minnesota rally, CBS Minnesota is reporting.

On Friday morning, the Minnesota rapper tweeted "Just got home from jail. 13 of us were arrested showing solidarity with the Cruz family and occupy homes worldwide. The struggle continues." The Cruz family is from Minneapolis. They were told by PNC bank officials that nothing could really be done to save their home against foreclosure. All they really want is to be able to live comfortably and peacefully in their home again. Their story has gained national recognition, and the Cruz family home has been the site of many protests. According to The Huff Post, Fred Solomon from PNC Bank said a representative from the bank offered to release the family's payment history for "public inspection, but they refused." He also noted that the home is now owned by Freddie Mac. The Occupy Homes Minnesota movement has actually been rather successful. Last week, a woman named Colleen McKee Espinosa's home was set to hit the auction block, but The Huff Post reports that less than 24 hours before Ms. Espinosa was set to lose her home, Citbank told her it would be willing to work out a "loan modification agreement." Espinosa says she hopes PNC and Freddie Mac will follow Citibank's lead, so that the Cruz family gets its home back. Brother Ali was arrested on charges of trespassing and refusing to vacate the premises, CBS Minnesota reports. He posted bail and was released from jail at around 1:30 Friday morning. His court date is schedule for July 5, HipHopDX reports. "There is something that's happening across the board in all communities, Ali told Gimme Noise back in April. "This is their chance to take the lead and say 'We're going to figure out a way to solve this problem.' Outline it and commit to new approaches for the banks to work with homeowners."