A group of churchgoers turned their backs to Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg as he addressed the Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, as they staged a silent protest on Sunday.
Why it matters: Bloomberg is facing fresh scrutiny on his conduct while New York City mayor — in particular the aggressive "stop-and-frisk" policing policy that disproportionately targeted African American and Latino people, for which the Democratic candidate again apologized and admitted was a mistake during an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," which aired Sunday.
A group of churchgoers turned their backs in protest as Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg spoke about racial inequality during a service at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama https://t.co/hmi7slRJSa pic.twitter.com/aqegJllPac
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 1, 2020
The big picture: The commemorative service marked the 55th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when state troopers attacked civil rights activists marching in Selma.
- Former Vice President Joe Biden, who demonstrated his support among African American voters when he secured a crucial win in the South Carolina Democratic primary Saturday, also spoke at the service.
- Per CNN, the protest occurred after the Reverend Leodis Strong said Bloomberg initially declined his invitation to address them. But he added it's important for the businessman to hear from them.
- The incident prompted President Trump and Bloomberg to trade barbs on Twitter.
We both know you ran for POTUS to resurrect your dying TV career. No one was more surprised that you won than you. Now you are terrified because you & your aides (who laugh at you behind your back and leak bad stories to the press) know you aren’t up to dealing with this crisis. https://t.co/wjluu8ncGL
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) March 2, 2020
Go deeper: Bloomberg's baggage, and barrage
