Residents of a small town in Massachusetts blasted town officials and accused them of hating Christians after a local library decided not to put up a Christmas tree this holiday season.
Though the library ultimately reversed course in the wake of the residents’ wrath, officials at a town hall meeting in Dedham, Massachusetts, were met with skepticism and suspicion about the motives of the Endicott Branch Library, according to the Washington Examiner.
After one woman reportedly said everyone's beliefs deserved to be represented and that a Christmas tree was "a symbol of Christianity," one resident asked, "Why do you hate Christians so much?"
Another person accused the library of creating controversy to politicize the community and draw unwelcome national attention.
"This is not about a Christmas tree," she said. "This is about you trying to lead the town into being woke."
Others at the meeting agreed, with one person reportedly saying, "They're not going to put up with it anymore," and another man saying the library wanted to publicize its biases.
"Thankfully, Jesse Watters picked up the story," he said. "The local media — everybody picked up the story," he said, referring to the Fox News program that shined a national spotlight on the local brouhaha.
"And now you're just sitting in the pile of poop that you made for yourself," the man added.
In a statement last week, library director Amber Moroney said, "The initial decision to not display a Christmas tree was the result of an ongoing review" of decorations that began in the spring.
"To be clear, there is no ban on Christmas at the Dedham library," Moroney said, according to Boston.com.
"What has played out on social media is unfortunate," she said. "It has negatively impacted our staff and the community and, frankly, transpired before we had even started our seasonal decorating."
In their own statement, town officials said that "social media and outside sources" turned the conversation into threats against the safety of community members and town staff, according to Boston.com.
While a tree will be displayed this year, the library said that its review of seasonal decorations is not finished.
"Moving forward, we will continue to review decorations and displays to ensure they are welcoming, enriching and reflective of our entire community," Moroney said.
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