Palestinian city Jericho names street after Aaron Bushnell

People gather at Trafalgar Square to collectively mourn the US airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, who died after setting himself ablaze in protest of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza on February 29, 2024, in London, United Kingdom. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]

The council in the Palestinian city of Jericho has named a street after Aaron Bushnell, the US airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington calling for a “Free Palestine”.

Unveiling the new street sign on Sunday, Jericho Mayor, Abdul Karim Sidr, said Bushnell had “sacrificed everything” for Palestinians.

“We didn’t know him, and he didn’t know us. There were no social, economic or political ties between us. What we share is a love for freedom and a desire to stand against these attacks [on Gaza],” the mayor said.

Jericho in occupied Palestine honours Aaron Bushnell: pic.twitter.com/5KnvdHoq6W

— PalMedia (@PalBint) March 11, 2024

Bushnell’s self-immolation was live-streamed on 25 February, and he could be heard saying he would not “be complicit in genocide” and repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine!” before collapsing. He died from his wounds.

The street in Bushnell’s honour is located in the south of the city and branches into a street named after Mahmoud Darwish, often considered as Palestine’s national poet, according to the New Arab.

Jericho had also designated a square after South Africa following its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Aaron Bushnell: The inside story

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