East Harlem Rezoning Opponents Deliver Giant Turkey to Mayor Bill de Blasio

EAST HARLEM, NY — Protesters marched on Gracie Mansion carrying a giant plastic turkey Sunday to voice their opposition of a plan to upzone East Harlem.

Why a turkey? Well, it's because they were awarding Mayor Bill de Blasio with the "Turkey of the Year" award, the Daily News reported.

The group of 18 protesters was from the community group Movement for Justice in El Barrio, which has rallied against the gentrification of East Harlem in the past, the Daily News reported.

Other than being the traditional main course for Thanksgiving dinner, a turkey symbolizes a "loser," or an "inept" person, according to its slang definition.

"He’s just trying to benefit the wealthy people and doesn’t think of the people that need help," Maria Escobar told the Daily News. "The whole movement feels very disrespected because he’s not thinking of low-income people."

Just a few days before Movement for Justice in El Barrio's protest, two groups staged protests during a public forum held by the city to discuss the rezoning plan.

Check out a photo of the turkey in the Daily News article.

Photo: Kevin Case via Flickr/Creative Commons