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      MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police carried dozens of protesters from a
hallway leading to the Wisconsin Assembly on Thursday as Democratic
representatives pounded on the locked door of the chamber,
demanding to be let in to the room where a vote was scheduled on an
explosive bill that would take away public workers' collective
bargaining rights.


      At least 100 protesters packed the hallway, pounding drums,
while the Democratic representatives gathered in front of the
doors, which were opened just before 11:30 a.m. At least 50
protesters were carried out by police, and the building was locked
down briefly while officers did a security review.


      Rallies against the bill have attracted thousands of protesters
to the Capitol over the past several weeks. A vote on it had been
held up after 14 Democratic senators fled to Illinois three weeks
ago, leaving that chamber one short of the 20 members needed to
take up any measures that spend money.


      Republicans got around that Wednesday by using an unexpected but
simple procedural move to remove all spending measures from Gov.
Scott Walker's collective bargaining legislation and voting to
approve it without Democrats present.


      About 200 people spent the night in the Capitol in protest over
the Senate's swift and unexpected passage of the bill.


      With the Assembly's vote scheduled for 11 a.m., dozens of
Democratic representatives showed up to find the doors to the
chamber locked.


      "What more egregious, illegal, unethical step can be taken to
prevent democracy in Wisconsin?" asked Rep. Donna Seidel,
D-Wausau, as she pounded on the door along with her colleagues.

      With the Assembly empty, it was not clear where Republican
lawmakers were. They showed up and began to file in after the doors
were opened.


      Protesters packed the Assembly gallery, sitting quietly as
lawmakers prepared to vote. In other parts of the building, they
called out and shouted as television cameras recorded the scene.


      Police began clearing protesters out about an hour before the
scheduled vote. Danny Spitzberg, 26, a graduate student at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, said officers gave protesters
little explanation for why they needed to leave. He walked out on
his own after being ordered to leave, but others were dragged
through the hall.


      "This is grossly undemocratic, it stinks up the whole
process," Spitzberg said.


      At a news conference at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds in
suburban Milwaukee, Gov. Scott Walker said he was traveling and
hadn't been to the Capitol on Thursday, but he was concerned about
problems he had been told were being caused by a handful of
protesters. He did not specify what those problems were.


      Walker said the judge who has been deciding access to the
building also was being apprised of developments, and he asked the
protesters to remain peaceful.


      "People can have a civil, passionate debate about this. One
doesn't have to offset the other," Walker said. "It is my hope
and my request to the people of the state is that they comply. My
worry is frankly people coming in from other states who aren't as
interested in complying with the civility we've shown here in the
state, not only lately but throughout out state's history."


      About 15 protesters stood outside the fairground's gates
chanting "Recall Walker" during the news conference. They held
signs, including: "United We Stand."


      Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison and Carrie
Antlfinger in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
      

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Police in Wisconsin have carried dozens of
protesters out of a hallway leading to the Assembly at the state
Capitol in Madison.

Police remove protesters from Wisconsin Capitol

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