Hazel Zimmerman, a family farmer from Carlisle, Iowa, is arrested at Wells Fargo office in Des Moines, Iowa

A family farmer, a Methodist minister, a Vietnam veteran and seven others were arrested today at the national headquarters of Wells Fargo’s Home Mortgage division in Des Moines, Iowa. Among those arrested was George Goehl, the national director of National People’s Action (NPA).

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) organized the protest to demand that Wells Fargo put everyday people before corporate profits. Dozens of protesters entered Wells Fargo’s downtown Des Moines offices and refused to leave until CEO John Stumpf agreed to give the 99% Power coalition 1 hour of time during the shareholders’ meeting agenda in San Francisco Tuesday to present their grievances to big bank officials. See more pictures at ICCI’s flickr page »

NPA Director George Goehl Arrested at Wells Fargo offices in Des Moines, Iowa.

“We’ve asked Wells Fargo four times in the past four weeks for 1 hour on stage tomorrow in San Francisco and they’ve said no every time,” said Stephanie Simmons, a former Methodist Minister from Guthrie Center, Iowa and ICCI board member who was one of those arrested. “We want to talk about Wells Fargo’s shameful record on tax dodging, home foreclosures, predatory lending, political contributions, and CEO bonuses.”

“Wells Fargo’s mortgage office here in Iowa is making billions in profits every year by kicking hardworking families out of their homes and they aren’t even paying taxes on their ill-got wealth,” said Kenn Bowen, a Vietnam veteran and retired communications worker from Winterset, Iowa who was arrested Monday. “That ain’t right. Wells Fargo should be broken up into smaller, community banks that will put people before profits.”

The 99% Power coalition of community organizations, faith communities and labor organizations is demanding that Wells Fargo:

• stop home foreclosures
• reduce principle balances on underwater mortgages
• pay their fair share of taxes
• get their big money out of the political system
• stop financing payday lenders, private prisons, factory farms, and coal plants

“Not only does Wells CEO John Stump believe his bank is too big to fail, he also seems to believe they are too big to be held accountable,” Goehl said. “We’re here today in Des Moines, Iowa and tomorrow in San Francisco, California to prove him wrong.”

The ten everyday people arrested Monday for trespassing at Wells Fargo’s Des Moines offices are:

George Goehl, NPA executive director
Stephanie Simmons, former Methodist minister and CCI board member
Kenn Bowen, Vietnam veteran and retired communications worker
Jim Yunclas, retired Ag extension officer and CCI board member
Hazel Zimmerman, family farmer
Misty Rebik, Iowa CCI latino community organizer
Shawn Gude, John Hopkins graduate student
Jessica Reznicek, unemployed worker
Ryan Laudick, unemployed worker
Julie Brown, bartender