vaccine
© David Cheskin/PAA nurse preparing to give a patient a vaccine.
The California state senate was forced to halt a session after lawmakers were doused with "menstrual blood" tossed from a balcony by a woman who says she was protesting vaccine laws.

A woman has been arrested for hurling a cup of what she claims was menstrual blood onto unsuspecting lawmakers in the middle of a legislative session on Friday, days after a bill further restricting the state's already strict vaccine exemptions was passed. The Capitol was packed with protesters opposing the new law, several of whom were allowed into the gallery.

"That's for the dead babies," someone shouted as the red liquid cascaded onto the lawmakers below (scroll to minute 43 in the video).

"My menstrual blood is all over the senate floor, in representation for the blood of the dead babies," the woman said as California state police walked her out of the Capitol.

"Their blood is on your hands!" she shouted as they handcuffed her.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins called an immediate break after the dousing, allowing the six senators hit by the liquid to go home and shower, and the better-behaved protesters were asked to leave the session. Those affected included Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who authored the vaccine bills passed on Monday and has been behind much of the state's ultra-strict vaccine legislation. He condemned the "direct attack on the democratic process" and blamed the protesters. "It's like we've been saying. Violent rhetoric turns to violent acts."

Sen. Shannon Grove (R-16), who has been sympathetic to the concerns raised by protesters, joined Pan in condemning the "violent and unacceptable behavior."

"Regardless of differences of opinions, there's no place for this in our America," she said.

A Voice for Choice, which lobbied against the vaccine laws, denounced the rogue protester, tweeting that it "does not now & never will support, encourage or condone this repulsive behavior," adding that these scenes only hurt the protesters' cause.

Several other anti-vaccine protesters have been arrested at the Capitol over the past week, though none quite so dramatically.