A woman wearing a burka was escorted out of a Florida county commissioners meeting on Tuesday after playing a recording of the Islamic call to prayer during the public comment period where residents spoke against the potential expansion of a local mosque amid concerns from some over its wording on zoning and agenda materials. The incident occurred as the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners was listening to residents address the board. A woman covered head-to-toe in black, with only her left eye visible, and approached the podium. Rather than making a verbal statement, she activated a recording of the call to prayer. It was not immediately clear whether the gesture was a protest or a prank.
The audio played for nearly a minute before Board Chairman Dave Eggers interrupted, pointing out that county rules require public speakers to deliver verbal comments rather than play recordings. “Ma’am, you’re going to have to stop … stop the music, stop the tape,” Eggers said. When the woman refused to comply, a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy approached the podium and escorted her out of the meeting room and the building.
