Police arrested them for creating a disturbance on federal property nearly three hours after they entered Pelosi's offices.

The protesters, who are in favor of a system administered by the federal government but delivered by private health care providers, entered the waiting room of Pelosi's offices at about 11:45 a.m. and were arrested around 2:30 p.m., according to Pam Allen, an attorney with the California Nurses Association. Pelosi was not in the office and did not meet or talk to them by telephone.

The activists were protesting the lack of a vote over a "Medicare for All" amendment proposed in the House bill. Pelosi was not in the office.

Those arrested were cited, released and ordered to appear before a federal judge.

E-mail Victoria Colliver at vcolliver@sfchronicle.com.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/03/BA6I1AEPLP.DTL&tsp=1