Protest shuts down Seattle school board meeting

A protest of military recruiting in Seattle Public Schools has shut down tonight's School Board meeting.

Acting President Darlene Flynn recessed the meeting before she could even take roll because about 30 students marched into the meeting room chanting, "Yo School Board, what's up? We're here to say we've had enough."

Some students covered with fake blood collapsed on the floor, then were carried around the room. After the demonstration, the students spoke to the meeting's attendees in support of a proposed policy they wrote that would require military recruitment to be confined to twice-yearly recruitment fairs.

After more than a half-hour, the board convened with the district's attorney to discuss its course of action. Board members re-entered the board meeting room, where the students demanded 10 to 15 minutes to address them.

Instead, board member Brita Butler-Wall made a motion to reconvene in a small boardroom. The media — but not the public — were allowed inside while the board continued its business.

"We couldn't hear each other, and if you can't hear each other, you can't do the public's business," Flynn said.

At 7:45 p.m., the board voted to return to the boardroom after a break. The protesters had moved outside.