(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Pro-Palestinian hecklers disrupted a charitable fundraiser for blind children in Australia, aiming to protest Israel’s military actions in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip, Fox News reported on Sunday.
The annual Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight fundraiser, held on Dec. 24, serves as a gathering for families and friends to celebrate Christmas while raising funds for children in need. However, this year, the event gained viral attention after hecklers terrorized children who were performing Christmas carols.
You can always count on anti-Israel extremists to make everything about them and to appall decent, ordinary people. The chorus of boos tells them loud and clear they’re not wanted. https://t.co/H9YmAibn5o
— Alex Ryvchin (@AlexRyvchin) December 24, 2023
Online video footage captured approximately 10,000 attendees witnessing hecklers storming the stage where children were set to perform. As reported by SkyNews, hosts David Campbell and Sarah Abo were on stage during the disturbing disruption.
A woman’s voice can be heard shouting, “All the kids are dying in Gaza,” before security escorted her away. Although the broadcast cut away from the disturbance, viewers were able to listen to the protest.
Additional footage from the event showed at least two individuals displaying Palestinian flags, causing alarm for the security of the children and prompting security intervention.
This is the moment anti-Israel protesters stormed the Carols By Candlelight stage in Melbourne because they hate youse nearly as much as they hate Jews pic.twitter.com/TvpAgvF2WD
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) December 24, 2023
In the viral video, one of the hecklers seized the microphone from Campbell, prompting his reassuring response, “It’s OK, everybody, we are actually fine here. Okay, take it easy. It’s okay, no, no.”
Attempting to calm the situation, Campbell addressed the crowd: “I’m so sorry…. Everyone’s allowed to have their time, their moment.”
He further stated that security was ensuring the safety of the children who were on stage before the perpetrators broke into stage.
“It’s a very hard time in this world… There’s a lot of pain out there that people are experiencing,” Campbell continued.
The crowd responded with applause, likely to hail the hosts’ professionalism.
This would not mark the first occurrence of pro-Palestinian disruptions during Christmas-related events. A similar incident unfolded at New York City’s popular Rockefeller Christmas lighting ceremony.
.@WOLPalestine leader Nerdeen Kiswani: “We have shut down New York City & we will continue to shut this city down.” Waving a PFLP terror flag, violently anti-Israel protesters disrupted the iconic Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/TPR2HE8fFR
— Canary Mission (@canarymission) December 2, 2023
A flier shared online read, “FLOOD THE TREE LIGHTING FOR GAZA,” leading to at least seven arrests amid anti-Israeli chants and violent altercations with the NYPD, as captured in disturbing footage.
These protests have emerged following Israel’s military actions against Hamas, which invaded southern Israel and killed approximately 1,400 individuals, including U.S. citizens.
