She also attacked University President Lawrence H. Summers’ longer than expected consideration of the recommendations of the Harvard Committee on Employment and Contracting Policies. The committee’s Dec. 18 report supports pay increases and equalization of pay between directly employed workers and subcontracted ones.

Pedro Antonio Noguera, a professor at the Graduate School of Education, called Harvard’s employment policies “a crime and a disgrace,” and said that “if [Summers] wants a peaceful spring, he’ll deal with this soon.”

Other speakers attacked both Harvard and Summers.

Responding to Reich’s comments, Boston civil rights activist Mel King said that “Harvard is not a great institution. If it were a great institution, we would not be here advocating for justice.”

Terming Harvard a “terrorizer,” he said that “the only way you fight this kind of terrorism is a coalition which believes in justice.”

Ed Childs, Adams House Cook and Chief Shop Steward for Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 26, which represents Harvard’s dining hall workers, also criticized Summers.

“We’re here to tell Larry Summers, what he got away with in Washington, he won’t get away with that here,” Childs said.

In addition to workers and students, the rally drew adherents of a wide variety of liberal and radical causes. At the door, petitioners solicited signatures in support of affirmative action. In front of the church, people passed out copies of “The Workers’ Vanguard” and “The Militant,” while the communist Progressive Labor Party passed out fliers inside.

—Staff writer Ross A. Macdonald can be reached at jrmacdon@fas.harvard.edu.