Pro-Palestine protestors in Australia disrupted the live “Carols by Candlelight” broadcast Sunday raising proceeds for families and children who are blind or have low vision, according to Sky News.
Video footage from the event shows two activists rushing the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage around 8:20 p.m. as children were quickly escorted off, according to Sky News. The protestors appeared to wave Palestine flags and were yelling to the crowd before one allegedly attempted to take over a moderator’s mic, screaming that “kids are dying in Gaza.” (RELATED: Pro-Palestinian Vandals Desecrate Cherished Nativity Scene In Boston)
Free Palestine Activists at #carolsbycandlelight in Melbourne pic.twitter.com/8gCyKgW2Xz
— Jessica Westcott (@JessicaWestcot8) December 24, 2023
Following the incident, the show’s host, David Campbell, spoke to the crowd, reportedly assuring people that the children were safe, according to The Age. (RELATED: Video Shows Pro-Palestine Protesters Plunging Democrats’ Holiday Party Into Chaos)
“They’re allowed to have their moment, they’re allowed to have their time in the sun, but we did have kids here, so we wanted to make sure those kids are safe, they’re gonna be back out in a second,” Campbell stated, The Age reported.
“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.”
Once the stage was secure and protestors were off, the children resumed their performance, the outlet reported.
Online reactions flooded X (formerly Twitter), with some users calling out the protestors for ruining the event. TV executive Rob McKnight slammed the protesting stating, “Yeah, let’s scare the kids performing on stage. What a bunch of morons.”
Yeah, let’s scare the kids performing on stage. What a bunch of morons. https://t.co/jHqn3yOntE
— Robert McKnight (@rob_mcknight) December 24, 2023
The annual Christmas celebration is run by the Vision Australia charity, described by organizers as a way to “light up the lives” of residents and spread Christmas joy, according to Sky News.