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In an abrupt shift of plans, California’s annual holiday tree lighting at the Capitol was postponed a day and moved online, a change state officials attributed to potential protests.
The event had been planned as a public gathering Tuesday night but was rescheduled to a pre-recorded, virtual ceremony that will be streamed Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
“As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales — and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families — the ceremony this year will be virtual,” a spokesperson for the governor’s office said in a statement.
It wasn’t immediately clear which protests were a concern or whether there were any threats, but KCRA reported that the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights had planned a protest and march to the Capitol for California’s 92nd annual tree lighting. The group’s Instagram promoted a rally for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during the original in-person event, calling for “no celebrations while silent on genocide.”
About 200 people protested outside the Capitol on Tuesday evening despite the cancellation of the in-person ceremony, KCRA reported.
“He has chosen to keep [the tree lighting] behind closed doors with select people only and not enjoy it with the public,” Makeez Sawez, a member of Youth for Palestine and an organizer of Tuesday’s rally, told KCRA. “Our goal was originally to come and have conversations and have the governor see us.”
Newsom has largely followed President Biden’s pro-Israel stance; in October, he visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israelis who were injured in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. California sent medical aid to Israel, though Newsom said officials were also working to do so for Gaza.
Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted New York’s tree lighting ceremony, with some demonstrators clashing with police. Other ceremonies across the country, including in Boston and Seattle, have also seen protests, though no issues were reported in those cities.
Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joined by honored guest 5-year-old Harley Goodpasture, will now light the 60-foot red fir tree in a streamed video shared Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Harley is the first Native American child to assist with the annual ceremony, the governor’s office said. Her presence will also continue the state’s tradition that the governor’s special guest is chosen from one of the Department of Developmental Services’ nonprofit regional centers, which provide local services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ornaments for this year’s tree were made by people with disabilities from across the state’s 21 regional centers.
Harley’s parents, Season and James Goodpasture, founded Acorns to Oak Trees, the first service provider utilized by a regional center on tribal land.
Despite the new schedule and shift to a virtual event, the ceremony will be otherwise unchanged, officials said, and will still feature the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and the Wilton Rancheria.
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