[New York Diary] Palestinian Protest Unfolds Beside the Dazzling Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony

Stories from Everyday Life in America, Reported from New York

[Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

Every year around this time, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony held in New York City is considered one of the 'bucket list' events for many visitors. It has been a symbolic event marking the start of the Christmas season since 1931.

This year, the tree lighting ceremony took place around Rockefeller Center on the 29th of last month (local time). The tree, weighing 12 tons and standing 80 feet tall, was decorated with more than 50,000 LED lights in addition to a star-shaped crystal at the top. The wiring for the LED lights wrapped around the tree alone stretched an impressive 8 kilometers. The lighting moment and the approximately two-hour-long celebration performance preceding it were broadcast live across the United States on NBC.

Countless people from around the world come to New York just to witness this scene. However, this year’s tree lighting ceremony was not entirely festive. Although NBC’s live broadcast mainly showed renowned stars singing carols and the joyful crowd gathered at the site, clashes broke out on nearby streets due to pro-Palestinian protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

The protest had been anticipated well in advance. Since the day of the lighting ceremony was the ‘International Day of Solidarity with Palestine’ and a week earlier, the Thanksgiving Parade in Manhattan was disrupted by protesters, the New York Police Department (NYPD) maintained heightened vigilance. When the protesters, who had initially gathered near the News Corporation building close to the tree, began marching toward the lighting ceremony site, the NYPD blocked their path, escalating the clashes. Videos released online show protesters holding placards with messages such as “Oppose Genocide” and “Genocide Then, Genocide Now.” Some protesters even entered the lighting ceremony stage, waving Palestinian flags and placards. The clashes intensified, resulting in the arrest of some protesters. A representative of the protest organizers stated that “American dollars are being used to fund genocide,” and that the protest aimed to use the tree lighting event as an educational moment to unite New Yorkers in opposition to genocide.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Those who came to see the lighting ceremony expressed differing opinions. Ryan, a resident of Connecticut, voiced support, saying, “This is America and New York. Anyone can express their thoughts.” However, there were also complaints that an event meaningful to some as a celebration of the joyful Christmas holiday season should not be hijacked for political purposes. A middle-aged man who wished to remain anonymous expressed concern, saying, “The method seems wrong,” and “The Christmas tree should not represent a moment of conflict and confrontation.” Families with young children who came to the site also voiced worries that the protest could potentially escalate into violence.

Behind the dazzling lighting ceremony, the protesters’ cries of “Stop the genocide” serve as a stark reminder that countless civilians, especially children, continue to die on the other side of the globe. It has been nearly two months since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s surprise attack escalated into a ruthless war that even targeted hospitals. While the number of children who have tragically lost their lives is estimated in the tens of thousands, international and individual attention to stopping the war seems to have waned compared to the early days. When the Palestinian protesters asked the crowd, “How many children have you killed today?” no one could answer.