Two completely different events took place in New York, parallel in time and quite close geographically: pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested against the actions of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, and the city’s main Christmas tree was lit in Rockefeller Center . The police did everything possible to ensure that these two events did not intersect in space.
About a thousand pro-Palestinian protesters held an impromptu march through festively decorated streets in downtown Manhattan, chanting slogans for “Palestine freedom” and accusing Israel and the United States of genocide against the people of Gaza.
There was an organization behind this protest called “For Our Lives.” The title refers to the Palestinian dream of creating their own state. Among Palestinian supporters in New York, this organization is considered the most radical. Their calls to the demonstration are “Let’s Flood Brooklyn,” “Let’s Flood Manhattan,” or, in this case, “Let’s Flood the Christmas Tree Lighting.”
Such formulations (especially in English) are in line with the name of the operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”; This is exactly what the Hamas group (recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States) called the terrorist attack it carried out on October 7, in which some 1,200 Israelis died and more than 200 hostages were taken. Throughout Our Lives advocates for “the national liberation of all of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea so that exiled Palestinians can return and live in freedom and dignity.”
Despite the radicalism of their demands, the protesters proclaimed peaceful intentions.
“Our protests have always been peaceful,” Aya Ibrahim told Voice of America’s Russian Service correspondent. – I participate in almost all of this organization’s protests and I have not seen any violence. We just want to get our message out to as many people as possible so that Americans know what’s going on. We are not trying to ruin anyone’s vacation. Christmas is celebrated every year in Palestine, but this year the celebration was cancelled. We have a responsibility to tell the American public what is happening. Unfortunately, sometimes this comes at a cost.”
The police tried to keep the protesters in the square in front of the headquarters of the conservative television channel Fox, two blocks from Rockefeller Center, where the Christmas tree lighting was taking place at the same time. The protesters behaved quite peacefully until they began to break down the metal barriers. After several attempts, which led to confrontations with the police, they managed to form a column on the Sixth Avenue road and start a procession that the police no longer attempted to stop.
The protesters claimed that a genocide of the Palestinian people was taking place in Gaza and considered it necessary to raise their voices against this, regardless of Christmas.
Shahla Hussain, a girl of Pakistani origin with her head covered, told Voice of America that her parents “also lived through the colonial crimes of the West” and in that sense she considers herself “of the same blood” as the Palestinians. “We are here because we are against genocide,” she explained of her participation in the protest. “They’ll light the Christmas tree, leave it here, and then take it out of sight.” But the people who die in Gaza will never be alive again, because we only die once. We are in favor of saving as many lives as possible. The tree is already dead, they have already cut it down to put it here. But people are still alive and we must do something every second, every minute to end the occupation.”
Not only people from the Middle East and Muslims participated in the protest.
“We see massacres, massacres of children, wars, apartheid,” a middle-aged man named Paul told a reporter. “I think all this is a huge evil that my country is financing.” “I am a Christian and I hope these demonstrations help change opinions, especially among those in power.”
Another protester named Joanna said she arrived at the protest late at night because she couldn’t sleep. “My heart is with Palestine right now, although I am not Palestinian, I am of Dominican descent,” she explained. “I can’t even imagine celebrating Christmas while all this is happening.” It is awful. People can’t even imagine how terrible this is. That is why I am here: I want this genocide to stop.”
Protesters marched through the streets of midtown Manhattan, where clashes broke out from time to time with passersby who disagreed with the protesters’ views. Police made 7 arrests.
Meanwhile, a few blocks from the place where these passions were in full swing, the city’s main Christmas tree was lit. The ceremony, broadcast on television, was not disturbed in any way. For thousands of people who saw this action live and heard the concert with the participation of stars, it was magical.
At least that’s what it seemed to French tourist Florent Ladyer.
“That’s the magic of Christmas,” he said.
