New York, United States

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in New York City on Monday (Dec 25) chanting “Christmas is cancelled here.” Some protesters clashed with the police officers and injured one, said the New York Police Department (NYPD), adding that several arrests were made following the incident. 

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‘Christmas is cancelled here’

The crowd of about 500 demonstrators raised slogans including “Long live the intifada,” using the Arabic word for “rebellion” or “uprising,” reported the New York Post. Some protesters were seen throwing fake blood on the Nativity scene – which celebrates the birth of Jesus – chanting “Christmas is cancelled here.”

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The protest began at the News Corporation Building on 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan around 2:00 pm (local time), according to the local media reports. The building is home to newsrooms and media organisations including Fox News, The Post and the Wall Street Journal. 

The building has been at the centre of several demonstrations since the pro-Palestinian activist group, Within Our Lifetime, earlier this month shared a map which included newsrooms in NYC, businesses and landmark buildings saying that each of these locations is “an office of an enemy of both the Palestinian people and colonized people all over the world.”

From there, the protesters marched to Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree where people were enjoying the holidays. “While Ur Shopping Bombs are Dropping,” read one of the signs carried by the demonstrators. 

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Clashes and arrests

As the day progressed, several scuffles were reported amid the ongoing protest prompting the NYPD to reportedly request for a Level Three mobilisation to deal with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

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The NYPD measure ranges from Level 1 to Level 4, indicating the severity of the situation may involve a request for additional resources, personnel or equipment to effectively handle the situation.

According to the NYPD, one officer sustained minor injuries during the demonstration. 

While the number of people arrested was not immediately known, the New York Post citing law enforcement said at least six people have been arrested in connection with the protest on Monday. 

According to the media report, the six arrests – four for disorderly conduct, one for menacing and one for graffiti – took place near Grand Central Station and Union Square, as protesters and cops clashed. 

Christmas sombre in Bethlehem

Amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, Palestinian Christians held a sombre Christmas vigil in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Saturday (Dec 23) where they once believed Jesus was born.

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This comes as Palestinians in the biblical place of Jesus Christ’s birth have this year decided to forego Christmas celebrations in solidarity with the Gazans as the war rages on. 

The normally bustling Bethlehem on Christmas Eve was compared to a ghost town as festive lights and Christmas tree decorated the city’s Manger Square were missing and so were the thousands of tourists who gather each year to mark the holiday. 

(With inputs from agencies)