US Air Force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in protest against war in Gaza

News, US February 27, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

An active-duty member of the United States Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C, to protest against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. The 25-year-old Airman Aaron Bushnell was pronounced dead at a hospital after the incident.

The incident occurred around 1 P.M. on February 25, 2024. A video circulating online showed Bushnell, vocally advocating “Free Palestine” as he set himself on fire.

The fire was extinguished by Secret Service personnel and Bushnell was rushed to a local hospital due to “critical life-threatening injuries,” said the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Bushnell passed away after succumbing to his injuries.

Multiple reports cited that Bushnell was streaming himself live during his protest, and the video circulating on social media was taken from his live stream. According to a report, Bushnell live-streamed the video on the social media platform Twitch.

“I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m 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. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal,” Aaron Bushnell said in the video as he posted himself in front of the Israeli embassy for his protest.

U.S. Air Force active-duty member Aaron Bushnell sets himself on fire — ^{Police vehicles arrived at the scene after U.S. Air Force active-duty member Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. (Image Credit: Twitter/@nbcwashington)}

“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide? The answer is you’re doing it. Right now,” Bushnell wrote on his Facebook page while sharing the livestream’s link.

Described as one of “the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force” and “one of the most principled comrades” his friends have ever known, Bushnell has been serving in the U.S. Air Force since 2020 and held a position as a DevOps engineer.

“Aaron is the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force. He’s always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face,” one of the Bushnell’s friends told after the incident.

Another of his friends said that he often collaborated with Bushnell to assist the homeless population in San Antonio, which was his hometown.

According to information found on his social media profile, Bushnell was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Western Governors University. Additionally, he had previously undertaken coursework in software development at Southern New Hampshire University and computer science at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

*^{U.S. Air Force active-duty member Aaron Bushnell. (Image Credit: Aaron Bushnell/Linkedin)}*

Air Force spokeswoman Rose M. Riley confirmed that “an active-duty airman was involved in today’s incident.” Further details of his military service were not given by the U.S. Air Force. An investigation is underway, according to authorities.

Since the beginning of Israel’s attacks in October last year, around 30,000 individuals have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continue its operation in Gaza despite constant appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire from all around the world. Israel’s carpet bombing and ground operations have resulted in the deaths of thousands of children, marking it one of the deadliest wars for children.