“My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” he says in a video of the incident. “I am 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.”
Washington, DC- An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, according to reports and video posted on social media.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, of San Antonio, Texas, died after being transported to a local hospital on Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told Newsweek via email.
“My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” he says in a video of the incident. “I am 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.”
The video shows Bushnell walking up to the driveway of the Israeli embassy, setting his phone down on the ground pouring an unknown liquid from a bottle over himself, and igniting it while yelling, “Free Palestine” repeatedly.
Law enforcement officers are heard screaming at Bushnell to get on the ground. One points a gun at him while he collapses on the ground, screaming in pain.
That officer’s gun remains drawn as another sprays him with a fire extinguisher. “I don’t need guns, I need fire extinguishers!” one officer is heard yelling as other officers arrive on the scene.
Bushnell was described as “the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force” by Errico, a friend who met him in 2022 . “He’s always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face,” Errico said.
The fire had already been extinguished by the U.S. Secret Service when firefighters arrived at the scene, D.C. Fire and EMS said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The MPD spokesperson said that officers had responded at around 1 p.m. to assist the Secret Service. The department is working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident, the spokesperson added.
An Air Force spokesperson did not identify Bushnell but confirmed to Newsweek that the man involved in the incident was an active-duty Airman.
Independent reporter Talia Jane wrote on X that Bushnell’s loved ones gave consent for a blurred version of the video to be posted online.
Aaron Bushnell, (L) is seen with his father Dave (second left), his mom Danielle and his younger brother Sean
He was described as “the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force” by Errico, a friend who met him in 2022, according to Jane. “He’s always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face,” Errico said.
It says: “Throughout my time in the military in both leadership and followership roles, as well as prior work experience in a variety of civil roles, I have thrived in team environments and gained very good communication skills.”
He was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in software engineering at Western Governor’s University, according to the page. He previously studied software development at Southern New Hampshire University and computer science at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Bushnell’s protest comes as Israel’s war on Hamas has killed about 30,000 Palestinians, The Associated Press reported, citing the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Israel declared war following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which about 1,139 people were killed. Israel’s air and ground offensive has since driven about 85 percent of Gaza’s population from their homes.
Ya Libnan- Newsweek/ News Agencies
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.