Editorial: Protesters shatter Christmas window fun

As Australia starts its long annual wind-down into Christmas, our national rituals bloom.

For more than 60 years, Myer’s flagship store in Melbourne has sought to share the joy of the season through their annual window display.

The windows, like so many annual festive rituals, may seem frivilous, but they give families the opportunity to create memories and their own special moments.

The opening of this year’s Melbourne display, a collaboration with Australia Zoo, was cancelled and downscaled in order to avoid a threat from pro-Palestinian activists to hold the event hostage to their grievances.

“Myer’s ‘Share the Joy’ campaign is offensive given the absolute devastation children in Palestine are experiencing right now,” organiser Amy Settal said last week.

“Celebrating overconsumption while the historic birthplace of Jesus is under bombardment is abhorrent. The intention was to interrupt the media spectacle and economic gain sought by Myer.”

Despite claiming on Friday the protest would not go ahead — a small group still descended on the store to push their diatribe.

As Melburnians and tourists alike attempted to take in the City, they were met with chants of “bombs are dropping, while you’re shopping” while another protester was dressed as a police officer, wearing clown make-up.

The protesters’ signs read “you look stupid staring at windows when kids are being murdered” and “Morons for Palestine”, referring to comments made by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan about the group.

An attempt at self-depreciation may have actually been the only truthful sign at the protest.

The central message of the protesters — that sharing the joy of Christmas is untenable while the Hamas-initiated war in Gaza continues — lacks logic or historical context.

How does stopping kids from seeing Santa help win over people to your cause. How does it change the course of action across the globe.

And there’s not been any shortage of moments for these protesters to make their point.

Each week, our national protest capital is the scene of costly, pro-Palestinian rallies where those in attendance are heard — as is their free speech right.

But when those protests infringe or impede upon or level abuse to regular Australians is an insult to that freedom.

That families and children would be needlessly slapped in the face with graphic descriptions of war and abuse while trying to celebrate Christmas is an escalation that most Australians would struggle to stomach.

What these protesters must learn is their messages of division will always lose out to the simplicity of joy.

As cost of living pressures continue to mount and the global security environment deteriorates, families have earned the chance at creating happy memories.

In the season of giving and goodwill, our country should be at its best — generous and civil.