Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Live Broadcast of Christmas Carol Event

Pro-Palestine protesters interrupt the Carols by Candlelight concert in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 24, 2023. AAP Image/Diego Fedele

Pro-Palestinian protesters have caused turmoil at a Christmas fundraising event in Melbourne as they stormed the stage and shouted anti-Israel slogans during a musical performance.

Thousands of families attending the popular Carols by Candlelight event at Arts Centre Melbourne on Christmas Eve had their enjoying moment disrupted when two protesters broke onto the stage and halted the performance.

According to a video on social media, two protesters ran along the stage, unfurled Palestine flags and shouted slogans.

Security staff quickly evacuated the children who were performing to ensure their safety, and restrained and removed one protester off the stage.

In a surprising moment, a second protester ran toward the hosts, snatched the microphone, and shouted, “Children are dying in Gaza,” before being dragged away by security.

Despite the chaos, the two hosts showed their class, and tried to keep the show going.

“Well, it is the climate, isn’t it?” said the TV presenter Sarah Abo, who tried to defuse the situation.

“It’s all good, everybody. Relax, everybody is allowed to have their moment,” her male counterpart said, when a protester snatched his microphone from him.

“We did have kids here, so we wanted to make sure those kids are safe. They’re gonna be back out in a second.

“It’s a very hard time in this world. It’s a hard time for us all to come together on a night like this when there’s a lot of pain out there.

“We’re going to just settle things down for a moment, and we’re all going to be fine.”

The professionalism of the hosts won applause from the audience.

The whole incident took place in around one minute and was quickly settled, with the children returning to the stage to perform.

Online Viewers Strongly Object to Protesters’ Behaviour

Many internet users who watched the incident on social media condemned the behaviour of the pro-Palestinian protesters.

“It’s not about Palestine. It’s about disrupting the Christian celebrations of Christmas,” one internet user said.

“Disgraceful for a Christian celebration (admittedly secular) to be interrupted by political protestors,” another internet user said.

“Have they no respect for Christians or our society’s celebration of Christmas?  Totally inappropriate.”

Some other social media users also questioned why the protesters disrupted a Christian celebration in Australia instead of going to Gaza to help Palestinians if they cared about them.

Students participate in a protest in support of Palestine at Columbia University campus in New York City, on Nov. 14, 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Pro-Palestinian Protests During Christmas Around the World

Melbourne is not the only place affected by pro-Palestinian protesters during the Christmas holiday, as other cities around the world encountered similar situations.

On Dec. 24, pro-Palestinian groups the People’s Forum and Palestinian Youth Movement held a demonstration at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in New York to protest the Israeli government called for Palestine to be free.

Meanwhile, the Shut It Down for Palestine organisation held many rallies across the United States on Dec. 23, a peak day for Christmas shopping.

The pro-Palestinian group believed there was no reason to celebrate Christmas when the war was still going on in Gaza.

“This Christmas, occupation forces are sniping Christians sheltering in their besieged churches in Gaza, and Christians in Bethlehem have declared that their celebrations are cancelled,” the group said, as reported by The Guardian newspaper.

“People everywhere must continue to declare that there can be no Christmas as usual during a genocide!”

Pro-Palestinian protesters also targeted Zara stores in London’s West End on Dec. 23 as they urged Christmas shoppers to boycott “Israeli-linked” brands in the city.