GREENVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Rev. William Barber II announced he will be bringing a federal lawsuit against AMC Theaters following his removal from a North Carolina movie theater.
In December 2023, the well-known civil rights activist was escorted out by police from the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater in Greenville during a screening of "The Color Purple."
"This isn't about me," said Barber. "This is about corporations like AMC who think they can treat people any way they want and get away with it. It's about every man, woman, and child who faces pain and physical obstacles every single day and the CEOs who couldn't care less."
Barber, who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis, was kicked out for bringing his own stool to the theater.
AMC previously apologized to Barber for the handling of the incident.
Attorney Harry Daniels is representing Barber in the case.
"This is a race issue - a human race issue. At some point, if you are blessed to live long enough, you may find yourself in a similar situation," he said. "Make no mistake: this was an injustice, not just to Bishop Barber, but to all of us. Every family knows someone who needs additional accommodations."
Barber is the former chair of the North Carolina NAACP and the national founder and president of Repairers of the Breach and the current co-chair of the National Poor People's campaign.
"AMC Theaters didn't treat Bishop Barber like a man in pain or even like an honest American. They treated him like a criminal and used local law enforcement like paid thugs even though they were the ones breaking the law," Daniels said. "We're not here for coffee and conversation. We want action, not empty apologies."