2017 could be a rough ride for Mayor de Blasio as animal rights activists saddle up for a renewed campaign to end the use of carriage horses in Central Park. 150-200 activists loudly protested outside Gracie Mansion this evening, demanding de Blasio follow through on his 2013 promise to do so and expressing bitter disappointment over his failure to do nearly three years into his first term.
During the 2013 campaign de Blasio unequivocally promised to immediately end the use of carriage horses, drawing enthusiastic support from advocates. He quickly encountered difficulties in fulfilling that promise, however, with little visible progress after nearly three years.
Fairly modest in number, activists working toward a carriage horse ban are highly organized and energetically devoted to their cause. Their loud visible presence hounded Christine Quinn in the 2013 mayoral campaign and it looks increasingly likely that, unless Mayor de Blasio comes through on his long-promised ban, he will receive similar attention in 2017.
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