Madison - The Capitol did not open today at 8 a.m., which is supposed to be the time it is open for business.

Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said he wanted to open the building up. But first, he said, he wanted demonstrators to clear out of the Assembly antechamber, gather on the ground floor of the rotunda and allow themselves to be checked with metal detecting wands.

That may be problematic. Several dozen protesters have gathered in the Assembly antechamber and have filled the narrow hallway leading to the office of Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon).

Those protesters told a Journal Sentinel reporter they had no plans to leave, which sets up the possibility of arrests.

Huebsch said he did not want the protesters to leave, just to be checked since many of them were not checked on Wednesday night when they stormed into the Capitol. He said the process could be done quickly.

"If they do it right now, we can open it right now," Huebsch said.

Huebsch's agency said in a statement that the decision to delay was "due to the events the previous night when thousands of people entered the building after the Capitol was to have been closed for the evening and more than 200 people remained overnight."

In the statement, the Administration Department said the building would not open until law enforcement completes an "assessment of the building and today’s security requirements have been completed."

The delay angered protesters outside who began banging on doors and windows demanding to be let in.