By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) — Four people were arrested in front of the governor’s residence this afternoon as a group of several hundred demonstrators, mostly from Philadelphia, protested the end of cash assistance for the poor in Pennsylvania.

Protesters, chanting “Stop the war on the poor!” and some carrying signs characterizing Gov. Tom Corbett’s welfare plan as “digging more graves,” walked several blocks through the streets of Harrisburg before stopping at the gates of the governor’s residence to rail against the end of general assistance cash payments.

Lance Haver, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter’s director of consumer affairs, says he came to the capital on his own time to tell the story of his severely wounded son who relied on cash assistance.

“It was the co-pay for all of the medicine that kept him alive. It was the co-pay for the ventilator that he used day after day after day to breathe,” Haver said today.

Four of the demonstrators were taken into custody by police when they sat down in front of traffic on the street where the governor’s residence is situated.