A baby Jesus figurine was reportedly decapitated and the head stolen from a Christmas market Nativity scene in Brussels after a pro-Palestine protest swarmed the market.
According to a Dec. 1 GB News report, protestors crashed the Nov. 28 opening of the Christmas market, setting off smoke bombs and chanting pro-Hamas slogans. The outlet reported that Brussels Mayor Philippe Close confirmed that the figurine’s head was stolen and said it was unknown who vandalized the display.
AP News reported Dec. 1 that the entire figurine was stolen and that no decapitation occurred. The outlet also made no mention of the pro-Palestine protest and reported that Belgian authorities are “mystified” over the incident.
According to AP News, the Christmas market Nativity scene was already the center of controversy because this year’s images of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus all lack faces, leading one politician to publicly condemn them as “zombie-like.”
Que c’est laid une société qui renie ses valeurs…
Il est évident que cette crèche est une ineptie et une insulte à nos traditions. C’est pourquoi le @MR_officiel en demande le remplacement immédiat ou, au plus tard, pour l’édition de l’année prochaine.
Il est… pic.twitter.com/CzT0m5EUpB
— Georges-L BOUCHEZ (@GLBouchez) November 29, 2025
The artist reportedly said that she purposefully created the figurines without faces so “every Catholic, regardless of their background or origins can identify themselves” in the story of Jesus’ birth.
GB News reported that the market’s Nativity scene has also been vandalized in previous years. The baby Jesus image was stolen in 2017, three youths vandalized the whole scene in 2015, and the head of the Jesus figurine was removed in 2014. The outlet also reported that further outrage was sparked because a council had decided to remove any mention of Christmas from the scene and call it “Winter Wonders” in an effort to be more inclusive.
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