Fox News host mocked for saying John Lennon ‘wouldn’t be safe in New York’ during George Floyd protests

Beatles star was famously murdered in the city in 1980

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade has been met with mockery online after claiming that John Lennon would be unsafe in New York City due to the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd.

Lennon was famously shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside his New York apartment in December 1980.

Kilmeade made the comments in response to New York mayor Bill de Blasio, who said on Wednesday that he had been thinking about the lyrics to Lennon’s song “Imagine”.

The host said: “[de Blasio] wants you to hum ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon... John Lennon wouldn’t be safe in this city right now. He’d be hiding in his apartment.”

People online were quick to make light of the presenter’s comments.

One commenter quipped: “John Lennon, most famous for being safe in nyc.”

Another wrote: “Well, this one hits home, because if there’s one thing I thing I associate with John Lennon it’s ‘being safe in New York’.”

“Does he know what happened to John Lennon? He does...right?” asked someone else.

Protests have taken place across 50 US states and in cities around the world in response to Floyd’s death in police custody.

Floyd died of asphyxia while being apprehended by police officers; an independent autopsy has ruled the death was a homicide.

One officer, Derek Chauvin, was filmed kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes during the arrest.

The US police force has been criticised for their response to the protests, with an abundance of video evidence emerging that shows police officers actively escalating the violence.