The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an iconic symbol of the end of the autumn season and the beginning of the winter holidays. The parade started way back in 1924 and was originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade. It was organized by Macy’s department store employees as a way to celebrate the holiday season. The parade featured live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, floats, and marching bands. Over the years, it grew in popularity and became the Thanksgiving tradition we know today. Now, the parade showcases giant balloons, celebrity performances, and intricate floats. Personally I always look forward the Snoopy balloon, marching band performances, and the Rockette performance right in front of the Mac’s department store. This past Thanksgiving parade though, eyes weren’t just on the floats in the sky, but on the protests littered throughout the parade.
Protest severity has spiked in recent years especially in terms of climate change with radical groups throwing canned food items at paintings in many art museums to gluing their feet down at the U.S. Open. These jarring shows of protesting are done because the groups believe that the time to act is now and no one will listen unless you do something that catches the publics attention. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was to be no different, except for the introduction of another protesting group: Pro Palestinian protestors.
Recently because of the Israeli-Hamas war marches in many major cities have popped up in support in either Israel or Palestine. The conflict between Hamas and Israel has been longstanding, marked by periods of heightened tension and military confrontations. One notable conflict occurred in May 2021 when tensions escalated, leading to an 11-day war. The conflict involved rocket attacks from Gaza, controlled by Hamas, targeting Israeli cities, and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The roots of the conflict are complex, involving historical, political, and territorial issues. Efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain challenging, with both sides holding deep-seated grievances and differing perspectives on key issues. This long standing conflict has caught the U.S. public’s attention resulting in these protests in U.S. cities, bringing us back to Thanksgiving day.
Throughout the parade acts of protest included:
Activists leaping over barricades and trying to glue themselves to the pavement in front of Sinclair Oil’s Dino the dinosaur balloons at Sixth Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets and a group of protesters waving Palestinian flags flooding the streets beside the Jennie-O “Big Turkey Spectacular” float at Seventh Avenue and 41st Street.
At the end of the day though, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade holds significance as a cherished tradition, a symbol of national celebration, a source of entertainment, and a platform for cultural and commercial representation. It has become an integral part of the American holiday experience. And a part of that American experience is the right to protest, so while many might not like the minor interruptions, I think the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a true example of the American spirit.
