According to the school district and Coeur d’Alene Police Department, 100 people attempted to attend a Coeur d’Alene public school board meeting, exceeding the meeting room’s capacity.
“That meeting was canceled shortly after, due to security concerns with the size of the crowd waiting outside,” school district spokesman Scott Maben told CNN in an email.
According to a video shared by CNN affiliate KXLY reporter Ellen Dao, the crowd chanted “No more mask” and “My child, my choice”.
Protesters also put up signs saying “Don’t sell our kids!” and “Expose the Children of God.”
“When the members of the mob started beating and shouting at the outer door, the police reached the spot. We canceled the meeting and the board members and staff were able to exit safely,” Maben said.
Police said those in the crowd drove to the Coeur d’Alene school district office in a vehicle, where about 30 people entered the lobby.
“We went into lockdown there for about 90 minutes. The police took the employees to the building in their vehicles,” Maben said.
The crowd “became loud and furious, but there’s really no violence to speak of,” Coeur d’Alene police captain Dave Hager told CNN over the phone.
The police captain said the staff called the police because they were “concerned for their safety”.
“It was only a situation when people were passionate about their ideas,” Hager said, noting the signs of the crowd were against a mask mandate.
Hager said no arrests had been made and there were no reports of any attacks or injuries.
Maben said masks are not currently mandatory in the school district.
CNN’s Kaylin Chassis contributed to this report.
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