Several congregants in a historically black church in Selma, Alabama, made their feelings about Michael Bloomberg very clear on Sunday when they stood up and turned their backs on him while he was speaking. The former New York mayor attended the service at Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Selma on the 55th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” when police attacked civil rights marchers. Bloomberg spoke about the fight for civil rights and voter suppression, but around 10 minutes into his speech, churchgoers began standing up and silently turned their backs on the former mayor. Around 10 people remained standing until Bloomberg stopped speaking.

Rough intro for Bloomberg at historic Brown AME Chapel



The man introing says he invited him, but Bloomberg responded he didn’t have time bc he’s too busy trying to beat Trump



As Bloomberg is abt to speak, he cuts back in to say it’s important he’s here bc it shows he can change pic.twitter.com/b5EwsXa3u2 — Daniel Newhauser (@dnewhauser) March 1, 2020

Things were awkward for Bloomberg even before he began speaking. When the Rev. Leodis Strong introduced Bloomberg, he recalled that the former mayor first declined an invitation to speak at the church, claiming he had a busy campaign schedule. “I think that it’s important for Mr. Bloomberg, Mayor Bloomberg, to hear from you, listen to you, to learn from you,” Strong said. And then just as Bloomberg was about to speak, Strong chimed in once again. “Let me just say this. I think it’s important that he came,” Strong said. “And it shows a willingness on his part to change. And I like that, and I think that that is important.”

As Michael Bloomberg laid out some of his plans to help black Americans at Brown AME church in Selma, some audience members stood and turned their backs on him pic.twitter.com/FB3muz5Hou — Joseph Ax (@josephax) March 1, 2020

Bloomberg has been repeatedly criticized on the campaign trail for implementing the stop-and-frisk policy during his time as mayor that disproportionately targeted black people and other minorities. Bloomberg apologized for the policy when he was entering the presidential contest.

“I was hurt, I was disappointed,” Strong said as Bloomberg looked. “I think it’s important that he came, and it shows a willingness on his part to change.”