by KYW's Paul Kurtz
Two anti-casino groups put on a circus on Thursday to draw attention to the storefront they've leased on Market Street, across the street from the old Strawbridge & Clothier building, which Foxwoods has chosen as its latest site for a center city casino.
However, the circus theme was designed to make city officials and the casino the butt of their jokes.
The casino opponents lampooned City Council and Mayor Nutter by likening the selection and zoning process to a circus.
(Ringmaster:) "How do you get a casino in the heart of historic Philadelphia? It takes three rings!"
Helen Gym, with the civic group Asian Americans United, says the acts were carefully chosen:
"We've got the Amazing Two-Faced Mayor, we've got the Invisible Plan, we've got the Foxwoods Shell Game -- where will it land among the three different locations? And there's a lot of information here so that people can come down here and really reconsider what casinos and slots are going to bring to our city."
A lot of sarcastic humor, but these casino opponents are dead serious.
And though the circus was a one-day-only event, their battle to keep a slots parlor out of center city will continue from the storefront they plan to use as a command center.
(Photos by KYW's Josh Buzi)
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