Family Storms Pittsburgh Bank, Protests Mortgage Crisis

A local family took their fight for mortgage relief straight to the bank. They marched through the streets of East Liberty into a National City Bank branch on South Highland Avenue on Friday morning.

A total of 40 people wearing T-shirts and carrying signs walked into the bank, chanting "Criminal Offenders, Predatory Lenders!" and blowing whistles. They demanded to see the bank manager and a halt to foreclosures.

Friday's demonstration was part of a larger, nationwide effort by the group ACORN, a national nonprofit organization that provides free counseling to low and moderate income homebuyers. Friday, demonstrators demanded immediate relief to families losing their homes due to the continuing mortgage crisis.

Police were called to the bank, and asked the group to disperse, which it did. The entire demonstration took about 30 minutes, 10 minutes of which happened inside the bank. Police made no arrests.

Employees of the bank branch referred Channel 11 News to National City's corporate headquarters.