Tuesday 3 September 2013

Anthony Weiner, NY politicians get festive at West Indian Day Parade hoping to court voters

Afternoon rains and stifling humidity didn’t prevent revelers or New York mayoral candidates from strutting their stuff — and in Anthony Weiner's case, a fake accent — during the 46th annual celebration of Caribbean culture in Brooklyn.


New York mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, center, performs a dance with his wife Chirlane McCray, right, and his son Dante, left, as they participate in the annual West Indian Day Parade along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Monday.

New York City politicians danced like their lives depended on it Monday during a wet and wild West Indian Day Parade, one of the last major events before next week’s Sept. 10 primaries.

Stifling humidity and late-afternoon rains didn’t prevent the revelers or mayoral candidates from strutting their stuff — and in one case, a fake accent — during the 46th annual celebration of Caribbean culture along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway.

Beleagured New York mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner marches in Monday's West Indian Day Parade along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. He also tried to regale denizens from his giant float, calling out to them in an affected Caribbean accent.

“Anybody here from Jamaica? Anybody here from Barbados? Anybody here from Guyana?” Anthony Weiner called out in an imitation Caribbean accent, but then gave up.

“Anyone here from Staten Island?” he yelled from atop his supersized float, complete with a dancehall deejay and dancers that put other candidates’ parade productions to shame.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, another Democratic candidate for mayor, greets spectators while marching Monday in the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.

Democratic front-runner Bill de Blasio also got in on the action by debuting “The Smackdown” alongside his son Dante, whose towering Afro has been a prominent part of his dad’s campaign.
“We want Dante!” screamed a group of spectators as de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray, daughter Chiara and his son shimmied through the family dance move — touching their hair, then their mouths, then wrapping it up with a palm slap on the ground.

New York mayoral candidate Bill Thompson poses for photos with spectators during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday in Brooklyn.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn didn’t try to keep pace with the hip-twitching dancers around her but paid homage to the flashy costumes with a pair of colorful, loud print pants.

“I’m a fighter,” Quinn said, when asked about recent polls that put her as far back as third place. “I’m going to fight over the next eight days and I’m going to get into the runoff and I'm going to win that runoff,” she said.

Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, now running for New York City controller, shakes eager hands Monday at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.

Many politicians marching — including Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as Democratic city controller rivals Scott Stringer and former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer — paused to remember little Antiq Hennis, killed Sunday night in Brooklyn.

Hennis, 16 months old, was fatally struck by a bullet as his father pushed him in his stroller. City Controller and Democratic mayoral candidate John Liu called for a moment of silence for the slain tot.

New York mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota, left, poses with denizens for pictures as he marches in the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn on Monday.

Face painting and traditional garbs make the parade one of the city's most unique.

Current New York City Controller John Liu, who's also running for mayor, greets attendees at Monday's West Indian Day Parade, held along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.

New York City Controller candidate Scott Stringer waves to the crowd during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday in Brooklyn.


this news is collected from: http://www.nydailynews.com/

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