EXTREME PROTEST
Man who set himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington DC is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries
Self-immolation is known as one of the most extreme methods of protest
AN active-duty member of the US Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC on Sunday afternoon, said police.
The flames were extinguished by officers with the US Secret Service around 1 pm.
5
5
5
Chilling videos and photos shared on social media claim to show the man, dressed in fatigues as flames surround him.
Before ignition, the man, who introduced himself as Aaron Bushnell, reportedly said that he could "no longer be complicit in genocide."
He added that what he was about to do was minimal compared to the suffering of Palestinians.
Bushnell reportedly emailed several reporters on Sunday morning that read, "Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest" regarding the war in Gaza.
As the fire blazed, the man reportedly shouted "Free Palestine."
Bushnell burned for about a minute before he fell to the ground, according to the video.
Emergency alarms could be heard in the background as onlookers called on Bushnell to get on the ground.
The protest was reportedly live-streamed on Twitch, showing Bushnell walking up to the embassy gates.
Most read in The US Sun
He was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and is in critical condition.
Rose Riley, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, confirmed to that an "active duty Airman was involved in today's incident."
A suspicious vehicle was also investigated for possible explosives, however, a spokesman said the scene had been cleared by 4 pm.
Officers with the Secret Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, worked with Washington's explosive ordinance disposal unit to investigate the scene.
Charlotte Church blasted for leading hundreds of people in choral version of antisemitic ‘From the River to the Sea’
No embassy staff members were injured, said Tal Naim, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy.
As the war in Gaza continues, the Israeli embassy has been the site of several protests, said local health ministry officials.
At the time of writing, at least 29,629 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.
Israel estimated that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' terror attack and about 240 soldiers have been killed since the start of the war.
Hamas took more than 253 people hostage during the attack on October 7.
More than 100 people were freed in exchange for more than 200 Palestinian detainees, however, Israel believes more than 100 hostages are remaining in Gaza.
In December, a protestor self-immolated in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
At the time, police said the incident was "likely an extreme act of political protest."
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department for comment.
5
5
Topics