Democratic Missouri state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. protested during the Pledge of Allegiance before the start of the 2018 Missouri legislative session on Wednesday.
Franks stood with his fist raised during the pledge, instead of putting it over his heart, according to local reports. Franks told the Associated Press he prefers “to pledge allegiance to the people” instead of the American flag. He added that black people from his area “are disproportionately affected by a lot of things.”
The Democratic lawmaker was arrested in November for leading an anti-Black Friday protest meant to “shut down” a local mall. A month before that, Franks was among more than 140 protesters who blocked a local highway as part of a protest against police violence.
Franks rapped about shooting “snitches” and dismembering murder victims during his previous rap career.
“I off them if they snitch, I put a shotty to their body, send them straight to the reverend! I put them in a body cast, put them in a body bag, tie them to the bag of the Chrysler then it’s body drag!” Franks said in one freestyle rap video. “A nigga speak my name, he will get slain!” (RELATED: Elected Democratic Lawmaker Rapped About Dismembering Murder Victims [VIDEO])