Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Gov. Chris Sununu pauses during Wednesday's Executive Council meeting, which drew 250 protesters who at some points disrupted the meeting. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

CONCORD — Nine people, including two Nashua residents and one from Hudson, were arrested amid a raucous atmosphere at Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting.

But the councilors and Gov. Chris Sununu, who conducted business despite the roughly 250 protesters, 173 of whom filled the N.H. Training and Police Standards building toting posters and waving flags, ended up rejecting some $27 million in federal funding for COVID-19 vaccines.

About 50 state troopers were located around the outside and inside the facility. The attendees were in a cordoned off area away from the press and government officials attending the meeting.

Sununu spoke to the crowd at the beginning, asking for people to remain peaceful and quiet so that the meeting could be held.

About and hour and a half into the meeting, the crowd had a small amount of people shout out messages. A state trooper spoke to the crowd, warning them that anyone who continued to disrupt the meeting would be arrested for disorderly conduct.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A state trooper keeps an eye on a line of protesters as he makes his way through the crowd at Wednesday's Executive Council meeting. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

Shortly after the warning, the crowd stood and turned their back on the counselors.

As people began to speak out, troopers located them and removed them to a secure area away from the crowd.

Some yelled loud messages, at which time troopers detained about a dozen individuals, nine of whom were placed under arrest.

Those arrested included a woman with a young child, and while she was being detained, a trooper entertained the child by showing him around a cruiser.

A state police spokesman said in a statement that “the Department of Safety respects the protected right to peacefully protest in accordance with state laws.

A state trooper motions to a woman he later escorted from her seat during Wednesday's Executive Council meeting. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

“The individuals arrested at today’s … meeting failed to comply with a lawful order” from police and allegedly “intentionally disrupted the meeting,” according to the statement.

Arrested were:

* Marilyn T. Todd, 37, of Nashua

* Albert J. Todd, 32, of Nashua

* Monica A. Holm, 58, of Hudson

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A protester holds aloft a homemade poster expressing an opinion during Wednesday's Executive Council meeting. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

* Emilee K. Spiller, 26, of New Ipswich

* John R. Schmitt, 68, of Keene

* Frank N. Staples, 41, of Manchester

* Therese M. Grinnell, 48, of Loudon

* James E. Stuart, 68, of Rochester

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Protesters carrying signs and waving flags make their way into Wednesday's Executive Council meeting in Concord. Nine people were arrested for disorderly conduct. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

* Kathleen A. Bussiere-Appleton, 70, of Newton

All nine were charged with disorderly conduct; Bussiere-Appleton and Albert Todd were also charged with resisting arrest, according to police.

–JEFFREY HASTINGS