Wheelchair users protest at the Frankford Thiftway

Fifteen years ago, the Thriftway at Bridge and Pratt streets in Frankford installed a fence at the front of the store.

At the time, the poles were used as a way to deter customers from walking off with shopping carts, but now, several wheelchair-reliant Frankford residents are protesting.

A crowd gathered outside the supermarket Tuesday, demanding that the locked gate, which is operated by a guard, be left open at all times to allow for better access for wheelchair-bound shoppers.

As one woman told Action News, people in wheelchairs have to wait in the snow and rain for a guard to come open the gate. And when the protest turned into an argument among Frankford residents and store owner Harry Gilbert, police officers arrived.

Gilbert declined the offer to file a police complaint, but maintains that the fence complies with the Americans with Disabilites Act. The protesters admitted they did not contact the government before heading over to the Thriftway.

Action News has video of the protest: