For nearly a century, visitors have gathered from far and near to spectate the annual lighting of the 80-foot tall Christmas tree located in Rockefeller Plaza. This year celebrities Cher, Barry Manilow and Darlene Love accompanied the glittering lights of the famous Midtown tree. But, just a few blocks south of the jovial carols and christmastide, cries for justice, peace and liberation resounded from a mass of pro-Palestine protesters. 

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, the Palestinian-led organization Within Our Lifetime (WOL), coordinated — with the support of other groups including the Friends of Sabeel, a Christian group for Palestine — an interfaith action to disrupt the annual tree lighting. But the police had blocked off the streets around the area in order to monitor the immense and growing crowd of tourists craning their necks to get a view of the tree. Due to the high volume, the organization relocated a couple blocks south of the event at the News Corporation headquarters.

WOL organizers made clear the connection between Christmas celebrations and the struggle for Palestinian liberation. “Jesus was Palestinian and Jewish,” they said, acknowledging that Nazareth, the city from which Jesus hailed, is now under Israeli control. 

“Christmas is Canceled in Bethlehem,” read a handout passed amongst the crowd of thousands. The flyer informed attendees of the mounting movement of Christian-affliated groups that are speaking out against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. Statements have been made by Jerusalem’s 13 official churches, Jordan’s Council of Churches and the Bethlehem Municipality (in the West Bank) to suspend Christmas celebrations in mourning for Gaza this holiday season. They instead call for many to connect with the spiritual meaning of Christmas and focus on advocacy, prayer and contributions for the victims of the war. Recent protests in the West Bank by Armenian Christians, who fear an existential threat, have been confronted with armed settlers.

In a petition titled An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians, Palestinian-Christian leaders write, “We watch with horror the way many Western Christians are offering unwavering support to Israel’s war against the people of Palestine.” 

Back at the action, the crowd of demonstrators occupied not just the pavement in front of the News Corporation but also the opposite sidewalk due to the volume of people that filled the police barricades. When a speaker recognized that protesters were beginning to become claustrophobic and having a hard time breathing, she encouraged them to breach the police gates; the march then flooded into the streets and began to occupy Sixth Avenue. Once on the move, the precession passed by Grand Central and other highly-trafficked Midtown locations to raise awareness about the war on Gaza. 

During the protest, news broke that former secretary of state and war criminal Henry Kissinger had died. WOL co-founder Nerdeen Kiswani led a people’s mic to make the announcement. 

“In 1973/ the largest transfer/ of weapons sent/ from the United States to Israel/ happened under the watch/ of Henry Kissinger./ Henry Kissinger/ is one of the most ardent Zionists/ in U.S. History/ and he just died,” Kiswani had the crowd repeat after her. As they made the final remark, the demonstrators erupted in cheers. 

 “I noticed the protests, and then I saw about it online and I wanted to show my support,” said S, a high-school student who was following the march from the sidelines. S said she previously participated in school walkouts at the end of October and wishes to continue protesting for the Palestinian cause. 

A few altercations erupted within the crowd. One protester wielding a sign that used the Swatstika symbol and arrows pointing to the words, “Israeli Military” was quickly ousted by fellow protesters, who took his sign and forcibly removed him, leading to a police interjection. Over the course of the event, seven arrests were made. 

The crowd brimmed with emotion; young and old, many people were crying. Among them, a mother with her two children in tow. She told The Indypendent, “We have seen how [Palestinians] have been dehumanized by the media, by our leaders. Gaza is being bombed indiscriminately. In the West Bank, there are mass arrests. They are living in an occupation. We want them to be free, and we want them to have their own home space. To not be driven out.”

Interviewees for this piece asked to remain anonymous for fears of retribution.

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