BS”D
The secular Jew feels very left out during the winter holiday season and it is exactly now when he or she needs to see a reminder that he or she is Jewish and should be proud of it, even though we know full well that it is not chas vesholom the equivalent of a tree or lehavdil any sort of nitel scene. I know because while today I volunteer at least one night with my fellow Chabad Chassidim (tomorrow night this year), when I was a little boy I asked my mother whether we could have a tree that year when she took me to Macy’s during this season.
That is why we light the menorahs outdoors, and in the end it is usually Jews who give us problems with permit related complaints etc (cf the ACLU years ago). The anti-Semitic actions come from the lowest strata of society who would have sadly found a shul to vandalize instead (perhaps because they are reminded at this time by parents, extremist galochim etc of their belief that the Jews killed yoshke).
(The Admou”r meCreedmoor prefers to light large menorahs indoors, near an open gas valve or a barrel or two of kerosene, but his is a minority view and he lights from Dec 25 to Jan 1 anyway because he doesn’t want to celebrate a tzioinish yom tov!)