March for laid-off Sci-Port employees planned for Sunday

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - A "Solidarity March" is planned for Sunday in support of the 72 Sci-Port Discovery Center employees who were laid off Wednesday when it was announced that Planet Aqua Group is taking over management of the financially struggling science and entertainment center.

Planet Aqua Group is the company behind Shreveport Aquarium.

As a result, the learning museum will be closed from Labor Day until Dec. 31. The IMAX movie venue will remain open during the transition.

The "Solidarity March - Stand with Sci-Port Employees" will begin at noon on Sunday across the street from Sci-Port, according to a Facebook Event page set up to get the word out about the event.

Organizer Matt Arundel asserts on the Facebook Event Page that the goal of the march is "to draw a light on poor practices by companies that fail to take into consideration the impact their decisions have on the livelihood of workers. Hopefully, also, we can pressure Planet Aqua Group into preserving these jobs."

After financial struggles and the loss of an Executive Director, there have been questions about the future of Sci-Port. Planet Aqua Group will essentially take over the open role of Executive Director.

"You can think of this as a rebranding and creating some new efficiencies to make sure it's around for the future," Rich Lamb of the Sci-Port Board of Directors said on Wednesday.

According to Planet Aqua Group officials, those 72 laid off employees will be invited back to a job fair in November.

This is a developing story. Check back here for the latest updates as we receive them.

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