We were waiting to see what was going to happen at the Mermaid Parade this year, particularly given the fact that its founder Dick Zigun is now very publicly against the city’s revised development strategy. Yesterday, the first shoe dropped: This year’s Queen Mermaid, Savitri D, (King Neptune is the Rev. Billy) is going to going on a mini-hunger strike after the parade and will be sitting in a window at Coney Island USA’s building at Surf Avenue and W. 12th Street and there will be a webcam of the festivities. All of which means that things are off to an even better start than we would have expected and that organizers are going to try to get every bit of media attention for the cause of the Coney Amusement District while press attention is focused on the area. Per an announcement on the Coney Island Message Board, “it is our freaky-monarchial DUTY to use this power to SAVE Coney Island from the gentrifying apocalypse of RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT HELL!” The Queen Mermaid won’t be eating until the Scoping Meeting on Tuesday (6/24) about the revised Coney plan on June 24. Per the announcement: “She is fasting to draw attention to a destructive scheme to reduce 60 acres of amusements to 9. She is fasting so YOU will come to this meeting, where the fate of Coney Island may be determined.” The Live Mermaid Cam starts Sunday at 10AM. Last year’s event had some redevelopment color commentary too.