Strong Disclaimer
This article describes serious topics including extreme political protest.
If this makes you very uncomfortable I advise you to skip this post.
Atlanta Georgia, Friday, Dec 01 2023
Protester sets self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
Authorities said there is no “nexus to terrorism”, but the incident was “likely an extreme act of political protest.”
-ABC news
“We are saddened to learn of the self-immolation at the entrance to the office building. It is tragic to see the hate and incitement toward Israel expressed in such a horrific way. The sanctity of life is our highest value. Our prayers are with the security officer who was injured while trying to prevent this tragic act. We are grateful to the city of Atlanta’s law enforcement and first responders for all they do to ensure safety.”
-Anat Sultan-Dadon, consul general of Israel to the southeastern U.S
“A building security guard also suffered minor burns in the process of attempting to stop the protester from self-immolating.”
-The Hill
Palestinian flag was found at the scene, police said.
Authorities did not release the protester’s name, age or gender.
Washington D.C., Sunday, Feb 25 2024
U.S. Airman sets self on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defence operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died from injuries sustained in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.
The protest was livestreamed on twitch.
“My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. 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 is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
-From Aaron Bushnell’s livestream
That last sentence is left out of almost all news reporting.
Bushnell then doused himself in a clear liquid before setting himself on fire.
Bushnell filmed himself as he stood outside the embassy, screaming “Free Palestine” repeatedly before nearby responders extinguished the flames.
He later died in a hospital.
“We express our heartfelt condolences and full solidarity with the family and friends of the American pilot Aaron Bushnell, who immortalized his name as a defender of human values and the plight of the Palestinian people, who are oppressed by the American administration and its unjust policies,” Hamas said in a post on Telegram Messenger.
“When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it” U.S. Air Force Colonel Celina Noyes said in the statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
No embassy staff members were injured in the incident, said a spokeswoman for the embassy.
A Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest, police said.
“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 on Facebook, Feb 24
Articles for more info
U.S. airman dies after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy - npr
Suicide vs genocide: Rest in power, Aaron Bushnell - Aljazeera
Protester sets themself on fire outside Israel consulate in Atlanta, Georgia - BBC
Full video of Bushnell’s protest livestream
Warning: video of suicide by immolation; Viewer discretion is advised
https://zggg98sgwbg1gh.bitchute.com/jkmGTHdxQxJT/y1s9xeZvz1Y5.mp4
I will keep this link current when the video is removed.
According to Palestinian health officials
Israeli forces launched a military campaign against the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, destroying much of the coastal enclave, with nearly 30,000 people confirmed killed.
As of mid-January, 1.9 million civilians in Gaza have been displaced amid Israel’s military operations, according to the UN, accounting for 85% of its population.