Caroling in protest of a Sixers arena in Chinatown is now a Christmas tradition

The songbook looked much like last year’s, featuring carols fit for a Jewish Chinatown Christmas. (Think: “Little Drummer Boy” retooled as “What a Bummer, Oy!” with the refrain “pa-rump-a dim sum.”)

And the protesters’ views were just as firmly entrenched as ever in opposition to the arena the Philadelphia 76ers propose to wedge between Market and Filbert Streets, from 10th to 11th.

But the few dozen anti-arena demonstrators with No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity, who spent Christmas afternoon caroling and passing out fliers and “No Shonda” buttons at 10th and Arch Streets, said that things do feel different.

“The fight has really grown between last year and this year,” said Sukey Blanc. “People really care. There was a bus driver who stopped and wanted to sign the petition.”

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To Blanc, of Mount Airy, showing up for Chinatown on Christmas is an important gesture of solidarity. “I have friends who’ve been fighting to keep the Chinatown community diverse and intact for decades,” she said.

The 76ers say that a “world class” $1.55 billion basketball arena would create 9,000 temporary jobs and 1,000 permanent ones, and breathe new life into a stretch of Center City that has seen one failed mall after another.

Their 76 DevCo had at one point anticipated winning approval from City Council by the end of 2023, but has since abandoned that timeline.

Also delayed were a promised economic impact analysis of the arena proposal, and a separate community-impact study, funded by the 76ers but commissioned by the city.

The arena detractors said they’re skeptical of what those studies might say.

“We have a lot of concerns about flaws in the approach they are taking. It sounds like they are being asked to justify an arena as opposed to assessing whether it is the best thing for the neighborhood,” said Gail Lopez-Henriquez of Old City, one of the protest organizers.

While much of Center City was quiet on the holiday, traffic in Chinatown was jammed on Monday. She pointed to the gridlock as foreshadowing what could be expected on game days, and during the project’s lengthy construction.

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Ailin Cao and Jackson Morgan, of Washington Square West, were walking their dog Charlie through Chinatown to get banh mi when they stopped to listen to the carols.

They’d recently visited Chinatown in Washington and viewed it as a cautionary tale where, after an arena opened, small businesses and many residents were priced out. Now, the Washington Wizards and Capitals are set to move on to a new facility in Virginia, creating more economic uncertainty for the neighborhood.

Cao said that her concerns were heightened after attending a town hall meeting at which City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district encompasses the proposed arena site, said that even majority sentiment in opposition to the arena would not necessarily halt the project.

Cao used to work for the Chinatown Community Development Corp., and said she often worked with community members who were blindsided by property tax increases. “And that was before,” she said.

But Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker — who, like Squilla, is a longtime ally of the building trades unions — has spoken enthusiastically about the potential of the arena during her campaign. Since her election, she’s made clear that Chinatown’s opposition would not be the deciding factor.

“I will make sure that the voice of the people in neighborhoods throughout the city are heard on that issue. There will be no one voice that will dominate the discussion,” she said in November “The community matters there. But that is the community citywide.”

Paul Socolar, one of the Christmas Day protesters, said he still hopes that she’ll take into account the “existential threat” to this neighborhood.

“I think the mayor is concerned about jobs. This project could be anywhere in Philadelphia,” he said. “It would be nice if our city officials could recognize what a treasure it is to have a thriving Chinatown, and figure out how to strengthen it, rather than risk erasing it.”