Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) was kicked off the House floor this week after he donned a hoodie in solidarity with Travyon Martin. Tea Party Rep. Allen West (R-FL) thinks that was the right move, telling radio host Laura Ingraham that Rush’s stunt caused a security concern because police were unable to recognize Rush:

WEST: They’re watching us real close now. … Right now, the security folks there on the House floor are laughing about it, but initially, they did not know who it was. And they were concerned that someone had just walked off the street, or you know, wondered off a tour group. But look, this is the type of immature gimmickry we see coming from the other side that you know, does not have any place, especially on the House floor and really in the United States.

Listen here:

It seems incredibly improbable that security personnel were unable to recognize Rush, considering that he entered the House chamber wearing a suit and tie, complete with his congressional lapel pin, and was recognized by the chairman to speak on the floor. Only during his speech did he remove his jacket to reveal a hood and only then for a few moments. C-SPAN’s cameras had no problem identifying Rush, and neither did Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), who was serving as speaker pro tem and gaveled him off the floor.

Requests for clarification from the House Sargent at Arms and Capitol Police were not returned.

Rush said he pulled his hoodie stunt to protest racial profiling, and especially because his own son was shot and killed in Chicago in 1999. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said of the incident: “I think that Bobby Rush deserves a great deal of credit for the courage he had to go to the floor in a hoodie, knowing that he would be told he was out of order.”

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) donned a hoodie and took to the House floor this morning to speak out against the murder of Travyon Martin, but was shouted down and removed from the floor by the Republican speaker pro tem for violating House rules prohibiting the wearing of hats.

As Rush spoke about the murder and racial profiling, he removed his suit jacket to reveal a grey hoodie, while saying, “just because someone wears a hoodie, [it] does not make them a hoodlum.” Rush flipped up the hood, put on a pair of sunglasses, and began reciting Bible verses, prompting Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), acting as speaker, to bang his gavel and demand that Rush stop speaking. “The member is out of order,” Harper scolded. “The member is no longer recognized.”

“The chair will ask the Sargeant of Arms to enforce the prohibition on decorum,” Harper said. “Members need to remove their hoods or leave the floor.” Watch it:

The hoodie has become a symbol in the wake of Martin’s death, with thousands of people wearing them in solidarity. Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera sparked a backlash for saying black and Latino youths are inviting trouble by wearing them outside.