Christians in Syria gathered for their first Christmas Eve church services Tuesday since the overthrow of dictator Bashar Assad after an act of vandalism resulted in the burning of a Christmas tree.

Services at Lady of Damascus Church in the nation’s capital were filled with Christians of all ages singing hymns and holding candles under increased security, Reuters reported.

Just before the services, protesters gathered to denounce the tree burning Monday at a traffic circle in the Christian-majority town of Al-Suqalabiyah near the city of Hama in central Syria and show the vandals they would not be intimidated.

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