An Extreme Act of Protest
Recently, a man by the name Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire on Sunday in front of an Israeli Embassy as an extreme act of protest. This protest was about the ongoing Israel and Hamas war. He was identified by the Metropolitan Police Dept. as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell.
It was confirmed by the air force that he was on active duty during this incident. This protest unfolded just after 1 p.m. ET. outside the Israeli Embassy located in the north side of Washington according to the Police Department. During his protest, he was recording live on twitch. Police was able to gain access to the unedited footage of his live stream. He was seen wearing military attire during the video. During the stream he kept chanting “free Palestine” over and over again.
He said he would no longer want to be a part of a genocide while walking up to the gates of the embassy. He then set his phone down and then engulfed himself in flames. In the video is shows Bushnell pouring liquid all over his body and then lit himself on fire.
While burning he screamed to free Palestine for about a minute before collapsing to the ground. U.S. Secret Service Officer began to extinguish the fire. Bushnell was rushed to the hospital with multiple injuries and in fatal condition. Unfortunately, on Monday his boy gave in to the damage done and he died.
A Terrible Loss
The Air Force 70th Intelligence said Bushnell was a cyber defense specialist. He was in active duty since 2020. According to Bushnell’s LinkedIn page he was also an aspiring software engineer. He had worked for a company called DevOps since 2023 until now.
On his Facebook page, he had posted a link to a Free Palestine Twitch stream on Sunday. This post has now been taken down. The video if his death has been taken down by twitch, however it has been posted on other social media platforms such as X formerly known as Twitter, Meta’s Facebook, and Instagram. Meta has announced that they have made the decision to keep the post on their platform.
“When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Celina Noyes. Celina stated that their thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.
Additionally, Bushnell grew up in Massachusetts where he attended Nauset Public Schools between 2003 and 2014. The Nauset Public Schools spoke out about this incident and how heartbroken they are to hear their former student has passed.
They offer their condolences to his family. Bushnell’s University also spoke out on this. Afterwards, he attended Southern New Hampshire University doing online courses in 2023. He was pursuing a computer science degree. “We are deeply saddened by the news of Aaron’s passing and the SNHU community sends its deepest condolences to Aaron’s family and friends,” said the University.
A Memorial for a Selfless Soul
This Monday a memorial was help for Bushnell in front of the Israeli Embassy. Hundreds of pro-Palestine people gathered here to show respect to this man. Additionally, candles were placed on the sidewalk of on International Drive near Van Ness Street. Disgusted. I’m angry. I’m really sad,” said a demonstrator, Sammy Q. Certainly, many people showed their anger towards the U.S. and wish for a ceasefire to happen in Hamas.
However, Bushnell is not the first person to do such an extreme act of protest. In December, a person self-immolated right outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. They used gasoline to light themselves on fire. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene.
Written by Erika Cano
Sources:
ABC News: Airman dies lighting himself on fire, saying ‘free Palestine’ outside Israeli Embassy
NBC Washington: US Air Force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in DC
NBC News: U.S. Air Force member who set himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in D.C. has died
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Hassam el-Hamalawy Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Alisdare Hickson Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
