While Mayor Bloomberg tours the outer boroughs looking for a political home for this November's election, Reverend Billy has already launched his bid under the Green Party's banner.
Reverend Billy, born William C. Talen, came to New York more than a decade ago from San Francisco. He has since been an activist for many neighborhood causes and presciently warns of the coming "Shopocalypse." Now he's dedicated himself to thwarting Bloomberg's bid for a third term.
"When the Green Party approached him, he was thinking that Bloomberg was essentially purchasing a third term," campaign press officer Michael O’Neil, 29, told the Times. "He wanted to run because it seemed unlikely that any of the front-runners in the election would speak to the issues that have been challenging New York City’s neighborhoods."
The reverend and his followers are heading to Tuesday's Community Board 13 public hearing on the city’s rezoning plan for Coney Island and on Sunday he'll be joined by the Life After Shopping Singers for an appearance at the Highline Ballroom.
In 2005 Reverend Billy and his flock made a cross-country tour in the weeks leading up to Christmas, spreading the "stop shopping" gospel, a journey that culminated with his arrest at Disneyland. The pilgrimage was chronicled in the documentary "What Would Jesus Buy?"
