The Spirit of the Season, or Restonians being Restonians? You be the judge

We're not exactly sure what we're looking at in this here photo. Is it a) a group of Restonians celebrating the true meaning of the season by congregating in an open space surrounded by the finest mid-scale retail opportunities this side of Tysons Corner or b) a protective human shield surrounding a stray tree Columbia Gas somehow missed on its last go-around?