A Cambridge, Massachusetts, city councilor bought 77 billboards to air a "400-year-old grudge" with the city of Boston.
The ads, which air Monday across Boston, are all part of an "elaborate" April Fools' joke, Councilman Burhan Azeem said, and will "boast" that Cambridge is "plotting to annex Boston."
STAY IN THE KNOW
Watch NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
|
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. |
"[It's] a 400-year-old grudge dating back to 1630, when we were originally promised to be the capital and then it was taken from us," said Azeem.
"In 1630, Cambridge was chosen to be capital," the ad reads. "That was until Boston took that from us. It's time to fix that. Let's annex Boston."
Get top local stories in Boston delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Boston's News Headlines newsletter.
The councilor said he even launched annexboston.com to add to the fun.
"It's all in good spirits, tying back to an annual prank I enjoy pulling," Azeem said.
While he said the stunt came with a $5,000 price tag, it serves a deeper purpose.
"It's my way of nudging us to think more about regional collaboration, particularly around the MBTA and how, together, we can achieve more than any of us can alone — something the state seems to glance over," he said.