On April 14 around 3 p.m., the “Stadium Stompers” plan to shut down North Broad Street to protest Temple’s proposed stadium.
Stadium Stompers leaders planned a “Day of Action” at a “mass-mobilization” Stadium Stompers meeting Thursday night in the Church of the Advocate, located at 1801 Diamond St.
Unlike many of the Stadium Stompers past protests, the turnout on April 14 is expected to be around 1,000- 2,000 people. The Stadium Stompers, who are a collaborative group of community members, students and faculty, will be joined by 32 other organizations for a walk-out demonstration.
Eight of the demonstrating organizations are student-run, including Queer People of Color, Feminist Majority Leaders Alliance, Students for Justice in Palestine, Asian Students Association, Black Student Union, Socialists and Building Relationships in Communities.
These groups will walk out of class on April 14 at 2 p.m. and congregate around the Bell Tower, and then move to Broad Street for protests.
Stadium Stompers, Fight for 15 and Coalition for Real Justice are demanding during the “Day of Action” an end to stop-and-frisk policing, ending the proposed stadium and a $15 hourly wage for all workers.
As protesters leave the Bell Tower at 3 p.m. to begin marching down North Broad Street toward City Hall, they will meet others along Broad Street who are protesting for other causes, like nursing home union workers.
The protest will continue until protesters reach McDonald’s located on Broad and Arch streets. Stadium Stompers leader Pele IrgangLaden said the protest is expected to end around 7 p.m. on April 14. This protest has been in the works since February.
“We are going to completely shut down North Broad Street,” Irgangladen said. “North of City Hall up to Temple is going to be non-functional. I think that’s a very clear message: if [Temple administration] continues to ignore us, your city is not going to function.”
Sophomore media studies and production major Eliot Muka, who attended the meeting Thursday, said he will be participating in the walk-out on April 14. He also said he is opposed to the approval of an architect—Moody Nolan—for the stadium.
“It’s ridiculous because clearly the outreach from both the public and the students is very opposed to the stadium,” Muka said. “It’s clear they’re disregarding the wants of people.”
Stadium Stompers’ “Arts Week” was also discussed, which will be a week of art installations posted on or around campus. IrgangLaden said it will feature representations of the stadium project itself, students and community’s reactions to it and the alleged “crisis of priorities” Temple has. This arts week will start Monday and continue through Friday.
IrgangLaden said the Stadium Stompers have continued email and call Temple administration to have a dialogue with them, but the messages go unanswered.
Rev. William Moore of Tenth Memorial Baptist Church, located at 1328 N. 19th St., said he stood in solidarity with the Stadium Stompers during Thursday’s meeting.
“It’s a fight we came here to win,” Moore said. “It’s a fight we ought to win and for the people we need to win it. We will win the fight.”
Muka said he was optimistic about the April 14 Day of Action.
“[The Day of Action] will be a moving sight if it’s done correctly,” he said. “It will definitely get a lot done.”
Gillian McGoldrick can be reached a gillian.mcgoldrick@temple.edu or on Twitter @gill_mcgoldrick.
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