Protesters halt Seattle council meeting over new police plan

SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle City Council meeting was briefly suspended as security guards tried to keep a group of people against a new police precinct from joining a packed meeting.


The Seattle Times reports some people not allowed into the Monday meeting banged on doors while people inside chanted "Let them in."

The council left the chambers when the situation wasn't brought immediately under control. Guards eventually allowed more people inside and the meeting resumed about 15 minutes later.

The protests come after a city proposal to spend upwards of $149 million on a new precinct in the northern part of the city.

Opponents questioned the city's priorities, urging the council to refrain from spending so much money on a "bunker" for a police department undergoing court-ordered reforms related to excessive force and bias and in a city where thousands are homeless.

The council passed a resolution at the meeting calling for a racial-equity analysis of the project and further scrutiny of the cost.

On Aug. 10, protesters also objected at the City Council to the planned precinct building. See video below:

http://q13fox.com/2016/08/10/160-million-seattle-police-precinct-comes-under-fire/