An active duty U.S. airman stationed at Joint Base San Antonio set himself on fire to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. Sunday, Feb. 25, at approximately 1 p.m., Aaron Bushnell streamed the event on Twitch in front of the Israeli Embassy in D.C. and was pronounced dead later that night, according to NPR.
In the video, Bushnell wore his military uniform and carried a stainless steel water bottle filled with gasoline on his way to the front gates.
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” Bushnell said.
He explained that he would be participating in “an extreme act of protest.”
“But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is not extreme at all,” Bushnell said. “This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
While he burned, Bushnell was heard screaming “Free Palestine!” until he could no longer speak.
The Israel-Hamas war began Oct. 7, 2023 with an attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and has now resulted in the death of over 29,000 in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, all of Gaza is in need of food and at least a quarter of the population is close to famine. The U.S. recently voted against the U.N. Security Council proposal for an immediate ceasefire and has not yet come to a resolution.
