Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Activists Adorn Fresno City Hall Christmas Tree With Images of Dead Palestinians
Edward Smith updated website photo 2024
By Edward Smith
Published 1 year ago on
December 22, 2023

Share

Pro-Palestinian activists adorned the Christmas tree outside Fresno City Hall with ornaments featuring images of people — including children — said to have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Dozens of ornaments with images accompanied by phrases such as “20000 murdered,” “We are not numbers,” and, “They were doctors art mothers kids teachers students” were on the tree late Friday morning.

By 2 p.m. Friday, they had been removed.

Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White said that ornaments are not allowed on the tree and they would be removed Friday. White also said she would not send Fresno police to stop people from hanging ornaments.

Ornaments hang from the Christmas tree outside Fresno City Hall, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (GV Wire/Edward Smith)

“We’re not going to be able to leave them up, but I’m not going to send PD in to physically stop somebody from hanging an ornament on the tree,” White said.

When GV Wire arrived at the scene, the activists had already put up the ornaments and left.

The tree, which is owned by the Downtown Fresno Partnership, is on a public sidewalk outside City Hall. Elliott Balch, president of the Downtown Fresno Partnership, was not immediately available to comment.

The ornaments on the Christmas tree outside Fresno City Hall were removed by 2 p.m., Dec. 22, 2023. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Dyer Calls for Unity Among Fresno’s Jews, Muslims

The ornaments were placed on the tree the morning after Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer held a brief news conference at City Hall.

Surrounded by several Jews and Muslims, Dyer said: “We stand unified and believe there’s only one side in Fresno, and that is the side of peace, unity, and nonviolence. There’s no room for hatred. There’s no room for intolerance. There is no room for prejudice. And there is no room for the killing of innocent people.”

Dyer added that he hoped for a “peaceful resolution to conflicts” — referencing the Hamas-Israel war.

The Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7 triggered a war that has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza, where the United Nations says 1 in 4 people are starving. Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, mostly civilians, and took another 240 people hostage.

(GV Wire’s David Taub contributed to this story.)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Ex-Memphis Officer Took Photo of Tyre Nichols After Fatal Beating, Shared It 11 Times

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Freeway Crash Caused by Repeat DUI Offender

DON'T MISS

Trump Company Strikes Qatari Golf Resort Deal Despite Conflict Risks

DON'T MISS

Hugging Face Releases Affordable 3D-Printed Robotic Arm

DON'T MISS

State Says Arambula CEMEX Bill Subverts CEQA. What’s Next for San Joaquin River?

DON'T MISS

Trump Admin Cuts $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants, Citing Conflict of Priorities

DON'T MISS

Visa Wants to Give Artificial Intelligence ‘Agents’ Your Credit Card

DON'T MISS

UNC’s Belichick Defends Hudson as ‘Doing Her Job’ After Interjecting During CBS Interview

DON'T MISS

Why Is Misty Her Getting a Big Pay Bump as Fresno Unified’s New Superintendent?

DON'T MISS

Microsoft Quarterly Profits Up 18% as It Weathers Tech Sector Turbulence With Cloud Growth

UP NEXT

Fresno County Freeway Crash Caused by Repeat DUI Offender

UP NEXT

Trump Company Strikes Qatari Golf Resort Deal Despite Conflict Risks

UP NEXT

Hugging Face Releases Affordable 3D-Printed Robotic Arm

UP NEXT

State Says Arambula CEMEX Bill Subverts CEQA. What’s Next for San Joaquin River?

UP NEXT

Trump Admin Cuts $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants, Citing Conflict of Priorities

UP NEXT

Visa Wants to Give Artificial Intelligence ‘Agents’ Your Credit Card

UP NEXT

UNC’s Belichick Defends Hudson as ‘Doing Her Job’ After Interjecting During CBS Interview

UP NEXT

Why Is Misty Her Getting a Big Pay Bump as Fresno Unified’s New Superintendent?

UP NEXT

Microsoft Quarterly Profits Up 18% as It Weathers Tech Sector Turbulence With Cloud Growth

UP NEXT

Trump Officials Must Report Efforts, if Any, to Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Judge Rules

Edward Smith,
Multimedia Journalist
Edward Smith began reporting for GV Wire in May 2023. His reporting career began at Fresno City College, graduating with an associate degree in journalism. After leaving school he spent the next six years with The Business Journal, doing research for the publication as well as covering the restaurant industry. Soon after, he took on real estate and agriculture beats, winning multiple awards at the local, state and national level. You can contact Edward at 559-440-8372 or at Edward.Smith@gvwire.com.

Hugging Face Releases Affordable 3D-Printed Robotic Arm

3 hours ago

State Says Arambula CEMEX Bill Subverts CEQA. What’s Next for San Joaquin River?

4 hours ago

Trump Admin Cuts $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants, Citing Conflict of Priorities

4 hours ago

Visa Wants to Give Artificial Intelligence ‘Agents’ Your Credit Card

4 hours ago

UNC’s Belichick Defends Hudson as ‘Doing Her Job’ After Interjecting During CBS Interview

4 hours ago

Why Is Misty Her Getting a Big Pay Bump as Fresno Unified’s New Superintendent?

4 hours ago

Microsoft Quarterly Profits Up 18% as It Weathers Tech Sector Turbulence With Cloud Growth

4 hours ago

Trump Officials Must Report Efforts, if Any, to Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Judge Rules

5 hours ago

US Senate to Vote on Bill to Rein in Trump Tariffs as Economy Contracts

6 hours ago

Visalia Police Arrest Man Accused of Fleeing Police, Leaving Disabled Mother Behind

7 hours ago

Ex-Memphis Officer Took Photo of Tyre Nichols After Fatal Beating, Shared It 11 Times

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A cybercrime expert with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation testified Wednesday that a former Memphis police officer cha...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Ex-Memphis Officer Took Photo of Tyre Nichols After Fatal Beating, Shared It 11 Times

A repeat DUI offender with five prior convictions was arrested after stopping his truck in the middle of Highway 99 in Fresno County, causing a crash that flipped another vehicle and blocked all northbound lanes. (CHP)
3 hours ago

Fresno County Freeway Crash Caused by Repeat DUI Offender

3 hours ago

Trump Company Strikes Qatari Golf Resort Deal Despite Conflict Risks

3 hours ago

Hugging Face Releases Affordable 3D-Printed Robotic Arm

4 hours ago

State Says Arambula CEMEX Bill Subverts CEQA. What’s Next for San Joaquin River?

4 hours ago

Trump Admin Cuts $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants, Citing Conflict of Priorities

4 hours ago

Visa Wants to Give Artificial Intelligence ‘Agents’ Your Credit Card

4 hours ago

UNC’s Belichick Defends Hudson as ‘Doing Her Job’ After Interjecting During CBS Interview

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend