Pro-Palestine Protest Disrupts Indiana Christkindlmarkt

What does the pro-Palestine movement and the Carmel Christkindlmarkt have in common?

Absolutely freaking nothing, but that didn’t stop screaming lunatics from ruining many families’ trips to the market on Sunday, December 17.

Voted the Best Holiday Market of 2023 by Readers’ Choice, my husband and I were very excited to make our annual trip to the Carmel, Indiana Christkindlmarkt with our new son. I envisioned some hot cocoa, cute pictures with our baby by the tree and sweet memories being made. However, upon arrival, it quickly became apparent that wasn’t going to happen.

As we walked from the parking garage to the market, I noticed loud yelling coming from a megaphone or some sort of PA system but couldn’t make out what was being said. I joked to my husband that “Something sounds cult-ish over here,” but we brushed it off and thought some sort of event or competition was happening at the market.

Turns out “something cult-ish” wasn’t a bad guess, as this is what we were met with on the other side of the street:

In case you can’t make it out, they’re chanting “5,6,7,8 Israel a terrorist state” and “Free free Palestine.” Not shown was a truck with a giant banner which read, “Israel is committing genocide.”  

Oh, and did you peep the sign that reads “Intersectional Feminists for Palestine?” Apparently raping Israeli women is permissible by new feminist standards.

I’ll zoom in for your enjoyment.

As you can imagine, trying to ice skate and enjoy some Raclette Chalet is a little difficult when you’ve got that screeching going on in the background.

“WHAT’S THAT HUNNY? YOU WANT SOME MULLED WINE? SORRY, I COULDN’T HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS.”

Luckily for bystanders, if you were in the center of the market some of the noise was muffled out by a jazz band. But the ambiance was, uh, slightly more rage-y and Jew hate-y than anticipated.

Shout out to the Carmel police department for allowing for as much peace as possible to market-goers. Carmel PD had a line of cars in the road to ensure the protesters were separated from the market, which was much appreciated. But even with proper police presence, the nearby protest certainly detracted from what should have otherwise been a pleasant, holiday atmosphere. And that makes my blood boil.

Free speech is important. It’s what allows those idiots to protest. It’s also what allows me to say this to said protesters:

You’re antisemitic and either fools or liars.

This is not a complicated issue—or at least it shouldn’t be. For these people to paint Israel as the terrorist state is peak hypocrisy. Perpetually chucking rockets at a neighboring country and then proceeding to be shocked when they clap back is almost comical.

The audacity of Israel protecting itself.