January 22, 2008, Philadelphia, PA- Temple President, Ann Weaver Hart, like many American’s on January 21 was ready to celebrate the legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King. In recognition of the civil rights leader President Hart planned a big event in the Student Activities Center on Temple Campus. Unfortunately, the one thing that she hadn’t planned on was real, live civil rights activists showing up at the event.

Activists from the community organization Jobs with Justice arrived early at the event and began leafleting and talking with people as they entered the auditorium. The activists claim that Temple University is responsible for the poor compensation, working conditions and workers’ rights abuses of 250 security guards on campus. The 95% African-American work force is subcontracted through the AlliedBarton company.

The activists have been waging a campaign since 2005 to win improvements for the workers.

“We were surprised.” Says Wes Weaver, one of the student activists present at the event, “On MLK day, peaceful, civil rights activists were being kicked out of an event about how Dr. King used non-violent means to change our country for the better.”

George Darrah, a recently retired AlliedBarton guard states, “First they said that we couldn’t talk to people, then we couldn’t give people our flyers. Then the police were actually ripping handbills out of our hands.”

“I suppose that if our activists came to celebrate Dr. King’s living legacy, there must be someone out there to suffer it.” says Fabricio Rodriguez, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice. “But considering the day, I was surprised that President Hart actually had us forcibly removed from the event. She was just a few feet away. Dr. Hart knew that we weren’t being disruptive.”

The activists finished hand billing without incident.

Temple University announced the theme for next years King Celebration, “Attack Dogs and Fire Hoses.”

Temple Police forcing Jobs with Justice activist our of SAC