US Air Force Active-Duty Airman Sets Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Protest of Gaza Genocide
(Chaz Anon) An active-duty member of the US Air Force, identified as Aaron Bushnell, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, stating, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide." He was in critical condition and treated at a nearby hospital but died from his injuries. The incident has sparked an investigation by local police and Secret Service. This act comes amid ongoing protests against the war in Gaza, which has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations in the US.
"I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all," he said before lighting himself on fire. "This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal," he had added.
Active Duty Air Force airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, lit himself on fire 🔥 in protest against the genocide in Gaza.
— The Dystopia Daily (@dystopiadaily76) February 26, 2024
His last words were "Free Palestine."
pic.twitter.com/LJY0OLkaiN
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said in the aftermath: "The Metropolitan Police Department responded to the 3500 block of International Drive, NW, at approximately 1:00 p.m., to assist the United States Secret Service after an individual set themselves on fire in front of an embassy in the block."
It's actually not the first time this has happened on US soil in response to the Gaza war, where at this point close to 30,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza sources. In December a person self-immolated in front of the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.
