US airman sets himself on fire in front of Israeli Embassy in Washington

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A US airman set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday, in protest at his government’s complicity in the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. Media reports today confirmed that Aaron Bushnell, 25, died of his injuries.

An official at the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department told Anadolu that they received a report that an adult man set himself on fire in front of the embassy, adding that, “When we arrived at the scene, we saw that uniformed Secret Service personnel had extinguished the fire.” Bushnell was taken to a hospital in the area, where his condition was said initially to be critical. It was confirmed later that he had died.

Video footage of the self-immolation revealed Bushnell walking to the embassy carrying a flask of what is presumed to have been gasoline, and saying: “I am Aaron Bushnell. I’m an active member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.” His “extreme act of protest” ended with him pouring the fuel over his head and setting himself on fire, before shouting “Free Palestine” five times, screaming in agony and collapsing to the ground.

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