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Protesters shut down land board meeting

By The Associated Press

Story Created: Mar 18, 2010 at 10:16 AM MST

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2010 at 10:28 AM MST

HELENA -Five protesters have shut down a meeting of the Montana Land Board as the panel prepared to vote on the sale of a half-billion ton reserve of state-owned coal.

After Secretary of State Linda McCulloch moved to approve the sale Thursday morning, the protesters sat down and locked arms in front of the board members at a meeting room in the state Capitol.

They chanted, "Hands off Otter Creek, you're not listening."

Gov. Brian Schweitzer called for a recess and law enforcement officers were trying to remove the protesters.

Police handcuffed three protesters and led them out of the room. Two continued to sit in the middle of the room as police talked with them.

Arch Coal has offered an $86 million upfront payment plus royalties for the rights to mine the state's Otter Creek coal tracts.

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