On Christmas morning, activists from CODEPINK NYC gathered in front of the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in New York City to stage a vigil, condemning Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza and its escalating aggression in the region. The event, which took place in the early hours of December 25th, was held to draw attention to the genocide of the Palestinian people and to call out the hypocrisy surrounding the celebration of Christmas.
The CODEPINK NYC activists sang adapted Christmas carols for Palestine, spoke to passersby to inform them about the genocide, and chanted loudly to draw attention to Israel's criminality.
"Celebrating Jesus' birth without acknowledging the genocide of his people is a major hypocrisy," said one of the CODEPINK activists. "We are here today to remind the world of the Palestinians' plight and demand justice."
The significance of Christmas as a day of reflection and compassion was central to the vigil. While many celebrated the holiday surrounded by family and warmth, nearly 1,000 Palestinians were seeking refuge in Gaza's Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius and the Latin Monastery, not for celebration but to escape the ongoing violence. For the second consecutive year, Bethlehem—the birthplace of Jesus—canceled its Christmas celebrations due to Israel's genocide in Gaza, which is supported and funded by the United States government.
