Since I last visited the Occupy Baltimore site at McKeldin Square on November 26, 2011, that group was suddenly evicted from that site (like so many Occupy movements in other cities around the U.S.). Unlike the other groups that attempted to reclaim their former camp sites, Occupy Baltimore is trying a different tactic. Rather than focusing on camping outdoors in public spaces, they are taking on the banks who are attempting to forclose on a number of homes due to the banks’ predatory lending tactics.

Lila Kara is a Baltimore resident whose home is threatened with foreclosure on January 10, 2012 because she was the victim of predatory lending by Deutsche Bank. Occupy Baltimore held a pre-eviction rally outside her home on 1433 West Lombard Street. Here are a few highlights from that rally, which includes a speech from Johns Hopkins University professor Lester Spence (who stopped paying his mortgage a year ago due to high fees) and a heartfelt speech from a man who became homeless due to illness. It was also revealed that Deutsche Bank received $11.9 billion in bailout funds yet is attempting to extract double money from a home that Lila Kara had already paid the full mortgage on.

Here’s the video that I shot yesterday.

Advertisement