A local religious freedom activist and Satanist was removed from an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board meeting Thursday afternoon.

David Suhor, a member of the West Florida Chapter of The Satanic Temple, was removed from the ECUA meeting after trying to pray before the meeting was called to order.

A video posted to YouTube shows Suhor arguing about his right to pray before the meeting and chanting "Hare Krishna" when a security guard instructed him to leave.

After Suhor refused to leave, the guard pulled out what appeared to be a stun gun.

"Do you know what this is?" the guard said to Suhor in the video as he tried to physically remove him. "You're causing a disturbance."

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During a struggle with the security guard and another man, Suhor objected to being silenced before the meeting was called to order.

Once the meeting was called to order, he resumed his seat. Then the meeting was recessed to allow a board member to pray, leading Suhor to immediately stand up again and begin praying.

He was asked to stop but said he was not disturbing the meeting since it was recessed. After that, Suhor was removed from the meeting.

ECUA officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Suhor has a long local history of advocating for religious freedom.

He has alleged challenged the Escambia County School District board, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and the Pensacola City Council to allow him and other members of non-traditional religions equal time and opportunity to express their beliefs, or lack thereof, at public events.

He has repeatedly called for meeting invocations to be replaced with a moment of silence, and said county officials must honor the beliefs of either all or none.

He also was a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the city to remove the cross in Bayview Park.

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He told the News Journal on Thursday he was protesting ECUA's policy of having a board member deliver a prayer before a meeting. He said the board holds its prayer before its call to order to try to avoid any religious freedom issue, but, he said, the policy still violates the separation of church and state.

"It's a technicality they're trying to stand behind, but they ignored when I tried to use it," Suhor said.

He said he considered the removal an assault and a violation of his civil rights.

Suhor said he plans to consult an attorney before deciding what to next.