Protesters Rally Outside Apollo Theater For De Blasio's 'State Of The City'

HARLEM, NY — A number of advocacy groups took the opportunity to air heir grievances with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio before his big night Monday in Harlem. Dozens of protesters took to 125th Street to crash de Blasio's annual "State of the City" speech Monday night at the Apollo Theater.

Groups lined the sidewalk and stood in protester pens on the street calling for the end of leasing of land belonging to the New York City Housing Authority, the end of broken windows policing, better education for the Hasidic community and other causes.

As the attendees of the "State of the City" speech waited around the block to get into the Apollo cries of "de Blasio has got to go," and "New York City is not for sale" rang out. At one point a group of protesters advocating for the closing of Rikers Island marched down 125th Street and passed by the entrance of the Apollo Theater.

A few protesters drew comparisons between Bill de Blasio and President Donald Trump. While many New Yorkers love to give de Blasio grief, many times rightfully so, de Blasio has publicly vowed to oppose the more divisive rhetoric and policies of the Trump administration.

But that didn't stop one protester Monday night who held a sign calling de Blasio and Trump "two sides of the same coin."

As for the scene inside the Apollo Theater? Not much attention was paid to the protesters outside.

Watch a replay of Mayor de Blasio's full "State of the City" speech here.

This story will be updated.

Image via YouTube