Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show when he appeared on Fox & Friends Monday morning and singled out Beyonce, who, along with her dancers, put her fist in the air during the performance, evoking the “Black Power” salute.
“I think it was outrageous,” Giuliani said of the entire halftime entertainment, saying that it is “football, not Hollywood.”
Beyonce and her dancers were dressed in all black, the dancers also wore black berets.
In addition to the performance, some of the dancers held a sign on the field that read: “Justice for Mario Woods.” Video was posted by BLM Bay Area, a self- described Black Lives Matter chapter.
.@Beyonce‘s Dancers and band want #JusticeMarioWoods #Last3Percent #SB50 pic.twitter.com/D3eKZNgAox
— BLM Bay area (@BLMBAYAREA) February 8, 2016
Woods was shot and killed by San Francisco police in December.
Giuliani criticized Beyonce for, in his opinion, disrespecting law enforcement with her show.
“I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers who are the people who protect her and protect us, and keep us alive,” he said. “And what we should be doing in the African-American community, and all communities, is build up respect for police officers. And focus on the fact that when something does go wrong, okay. We’ll work on that. But the vast majority of police officers risk their lives to keep us safe.”
Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade wondered if the NFL knew the show’s material beforehand. “So didn’t they go and review this and say wait a second, why are you…,” he said.
“Can’t you figure out who you’re putting on?” Giuliani interjected. “I mean this is a political position, she’s probably going to take advantage of it. You’re talking to middle America when you have the Super Bowl, so you can have entertainment. Let’s have, you know, decent wholesome entertainment, and not use it as a platform to attack the people who, you know, put their lives at risk to save us.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
