MIDDLE EAST
Who was Aaron Bushnell, the US airforce member who died after setting himself on fire in Israel protest
Recording the video on live stream, the 25-year-old stated that he would “not continue to be complicit in genocide” before screaming “free Palestine.”
A United States Air Force member who set himself on fire in protest against what he called the “genocide” of Palestinians by Israel has succumbed to his injuries, according to US authorities. The incident occurred on Sunday in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
The spokesperson for the District of Columbia Police, Paris Lebwel, identified the man as Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old resident of San Antonio. Bushnell was said to have passed away hours after being admitted to the hospital in critical condition due to severe burns. Ann Stefanek, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, stated that Bushnell was an active-duty military member. The Israeli Embassy in Washington reported that there were no casualties among embassy staff as a result of the incident.
Aaron Bushnell’s “extreme act of protest”
Bushnell recorded his protest and streamed it live on the Twitch platform. In the video, he can be seen walking towards the embassy’s entrance and he explained what was about to happen.
“I will not continue to be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest.” He then placed his phone on the ground, dousing himself with flammable liquid, and set himself on fire. Amid the screams of pain he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.” Some security officials rushed to extinguish Bushnell upon realising what was happening. One pointed a gun at him while another can be heard shouting “I don’t need guns I need fire extinguishers.”
Caution advised as the video included in the following post contains distressing footage.
Bushnell follows Atlanta protest
This incident occurred more than two months after a protester carrying a Palestinian flag self-immolated outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. In that incident, a security guard was injured when he attempted to intervene.
Israel launched a military offensive against the Gaza Strip following attacks by the Hamas movement on 7 October, which resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths and around 240 individuals being kidnapped. Israeli attacks have since resulted in nearly 29,800 deaths, in addition to approximately 400 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem due to security forces’ actions and attacks by Israeli settlers.