People hold placards to protest against the oil spill pollution caused by the British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico during the annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, New York, the United States, June 19, 2010. The Mermaid Parade, characterized by participants dressed in hand-made costumes as Mermaids and various sea creatures, celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summer. [Xinhua] |