Admired by millions of visitors each year, Strasbourg’s Christmas market tree was installed on Monday morning, despite the risk of spillovers tied to social protests.
Hanging from a crane, the imposing 30-meter-tall evergreen slowly rose under the gaze of passers-by, finally standing as it does every year on Place Kléber, the usual epicenter of demonstrations in Strasbourg, where 15,000 protesters had gathered on October 17.
The Christmas Market Will Not Be Extended Through December 27 After All
“We will protect it and we will stay vigilant there”, said Mathieu Cahn, the first deputy to the mayor of Strasbourg. “The grand tree in Strasbourg is above all a symbol of joy and happiness. I don’t really see why it would be a target”, he added.
The installation of the tree, initially planned for Friday, had been postponed to Monday for “technical reasons” and “the mobilization of staff and resources”, according to the city hall.
This postponement coincided with the staging of a new demonstration, which drew 6,600 people on Saturday according to authorities. Held on the edge of the city center, it proceeded largely in calm fashion. On October 17, shop windows were broken and stores looted near Place Kléber.
The trauma of these acts of violence remains vivid. “I hope they won’t set the tree on fire”, said Anne, a retiree who came to admire the installation. She added “to fear the worst”, due to the new calls to protest on October 31.
Because of the demonstrations, and the substantial police presence they require, the City of Strasbourg also announced on Monday that it would drop its plan to extend the Christmas Market until December 27.
“We would have liked to go a bit further, but with the ongoing social movements it was not possible”, explained Mathieu Cahn, citing the “recovery time” necessary for the forces. The market will proceed, as every year, from November 27 to December 24.
As in previous years since the 2018 attack that claimed five lives, Strasbourg’s Christmas Market, which welcomed 3.05 million visitors last year, requires a significant police presence. In 2025, about a thousand officers were patrolling the streets of Strasbourg daily.
