The Reverand Billy and Savitri D. at the parade Saturday. (Photo by bluecinema on Flickr)

The Queen Mermaid has a growling stomach, but she’s staying strong.

Savitri D., the crowned fishy one of Saturday’s Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, vowed to go without food from the end of the parade until a community meeting on at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Residents are invited to testify at the meeting about the city’s development plans for the neighborhood. In an effort to raise awareness and motivate people to turn out, Savitri has been sitting in the storefront window of Coney Island USA at Surf Avenue and 12th Street, on display and feeling hungry.

“We’re trying to bring the energy forward to this meeting tomorrow,” she said of the meeting at Lincoln High School. “It’s so important to the future of Coney Island, where people can come and have fun without spending that much money.”
Savitri says she last ate at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and while she’s feeling the support from most passersby, a few have been testing her self-depravation.

“Of course the smell of Nathan’s sometimes gets to me, and when people walk by with french fries to torture me, that’s funny, too,” she said. “I’m feeling good, but tired.”

If you’re curious, you can video chat with Her Majesty right now at revbilly.com/mermaid. She’s got her mermaid outfit on and her computer handy.

Photos from this year's parade

-- Megan Stride