A civil rights advocate says he and two Dollar General store workers were denied access to the company's shareholder meeting in Tennessee where they had been outside protesting for better pay and workplace safety improvements.

The Rev. William Barber II said he and the two workers sought to enter the meeting on Wednesday inside Goodlettsville City Hall with their proxy paperwork but were told they could not go in after the meeting's start time.

In a statement, Tennessee-based Dollar General said the meeting began "promptly" at its start time and no one was denied who showed up early or at the start time. Barber said he saw nothing ahead of time that made entering late unallowable.

“We are unaware of any individual, including Reverend Barber, who sought access to the meeting at or before that time and was denied access,” the company said, in effect stating Barber and the two others showed up late.

Barber noted the meeting was in a public building and said he saw nothing that specified ahead of time or while he was there that he wouldn’t be allowed in after the meeting’s start time, the Associated Press reported.