Rev. Barber speaks out for ADA rights after theater calls police on him; he brought his own chair

A national theater chain is apologizing North Carolina civil rights leader Rev. Dr. William Barber II after an employee called to police to have him removed.

Barber II was escorted out of a movie theater in Greenville, NC, on Tuesday afternoon after he was not allowed to use his own chair to watch a movie.

Greenville Police were called to the AMC Fire Tower 12 movie theater around 3:19 p.m. for a trespassing call. Officers responded to the theater about a customer arguing with staff.

Barber says he was at the theater to see the movie “The Color Purple” with his elderly mother.

Barber cannot sit in a regular chair due to pain in his hips. He walks with two canes, and an assistant carries a special chair so he can sit everywhere he goes. Barber says he tried to use the special chair in the handicapped section of the theater, and he was told by staff he couldn’t do that.

Barber shared video of the incident that shows him talking to two police officers. The video shows Barber leaning on his canes as he is escorted down the aisle by police.

"Keep filming," says a voice from behind the camera.

Another voice says, "See what they do to people? This is Bishop Barber."

As Barber walks down the aisle, he says loudly, "I want the children to see this because they're going to deal with it. I've fought for everybody in this state," he adds.

The video shows Barber appearing to pray as he walks, saying, "God, I ask you to bless them ... To move in them ... because they know what they're doing is wrong."

Barber says he's used his special medical chair while in Broadway shows, as well as the White House. In the video, he addresses the camera, appearing surprised to have been asked to leave because of his chair.

"They called an officer of the law, the AMC theater in Greenville, North Carolina," he says to the camera. "They would not make amends to simply do the right thing. But we'll deal with it."

The video then shows Barber shaking hands with an officer.

A woman who is with Barber can be heard talking to employees, saying Barber's chair is even smaller than a wheelchair that would generally sit in the handicapped spot during movies.

The video shows a police officer saying, "Sorry for the way this turned out."

Rev. Barber explains his side to WRAL News

Along with being a former president of the NAACP and a pastor, Barber is known in North Carolina for his work standing up for the rights of others.

"I said this is my ADA and they questioned me," Barber tells WRAL News. "They said, 'No, that’s a regular chair,' and I said, 'No, it’s for me because I can’t sit low. It’s impossible.'"

Barber has arthritis and uses canes to walk. The taller chair he brought helps him sit with less pain. However, Barber was told by an AMC employee that only wheelchairs were approved for the area.

"Everything I know about ADA law says you’re supposed to make adjustments," he said.

Barber left the theater peacefully – but with the experience fresh in his mind.

"This is just about how we treat, how we say to disabled folk, 'There’s no room at the inn' if you don’t come a certain way,'" he said.

AMC theaters apologize to Rev. Barber

In a statement released by AMC Theatre's Vice President of Corporate Communications Ryan Noonan, the company apologized to Barber, his family and his guests. AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron has called Barber and plans to meet with him in person next week "to discuss both this situation and the good works Bishop Barber is engaged in throughout the years," said Noonan in the statement.

According to the statement, "AMC welcomes guests with disabilities. We have a number of accommodations in place at our theaters at all times, and our theater teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside the normal course of business. We encourage guests who require special seating to speak with a manager in advance to see what can best be accommodated at the theater to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guest and those around them. We are also reviewing our policies with our theater teams to help ensure situations like this do not occur again."

Barber says he is holding a press conference on Thursday to address the situation.