Pro-Palestinian protesters converge on Midtown, calling for Christmas to be canceled
On Christmas Day, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Midtown Manhattan, carrying a blood-red mock Nativity scene and chanting “Christmas is canceled here.” The crowd, numbering about 500, also shouted “Long live the intifada” as they mobbed the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree where holiday revelers were enjoying the festivities.
The demonstrators carried signs with messages such as “No Joy In Genocide” and “While Ur Shopping Bombs are Dropping,” while the mock Nativity scene was splattered with what appeared to be fake blood. Scuffles broke out among the crowd after nightfall, but no arrests were reported by 6 p.m.
This protest follows a pro-Palestinian car caravan that disrupted Christmas carolers at Washington Square Park the night before, dousing the holiday spirit with blaring music. The demonstration on Christmas Day prompted police to go on alert outside the News Corp headquarters on Sixth Avenue, home to media outlets like Fox News, The Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
This is not the first time protesters targeted the media company. In November, there were demonstrations that resulted in several arrests and scuffles between the protesters and NYPD cops. The unrest stems from tensions in the wake of Hamas’ sneak attack in October, which led to the Jewish state’s retaliatory strike in the Gaza Strip.
One interesting development is that News Corp was labeled as a target for radical protesters in a map that claimed the company was an “enemy of both the Palestinian people and colonized people all over the world,” according to the pro-Palestinian group, Within Our Lifetime.
With tensions high and protests intensifying, the situation in Midtown Manhattan remains tense as the holiday season continues.