The iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center has been lit before a crowd in New York City. More than 50,000 multicolored lights blazed to life on the tree Wednesday night in Rockefeller Center. The 12-ton, 80-foot-tall Norway spruce is from upstate New York. It was illuminated by about five miles of LED string lights and topped with a 900-pound star covered in 3 million gleaming crystals. Nearby, a large crowd of chanting protesters waved Palestinian flags and at one point briefly clashed with police but that didn't disrupt the lighting ceremony. A similar gathering last week briefly disturbed the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
