A 25-year-old member of the United States Air Force self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, yelling “Free Palestine!” according to reports.
The airman, identified as Aaron Bushnell, broadcasted his entire self-immolation on the streaming site Twitch.
In the minutes before his self-immolation, he says in the video, “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,” according to Newsweek.
“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,” he adds.
A blurred video, posted on X, shows Bushnell dousing himself with liquid and then igniting himself into flames, screaming, “Free Palestine!” before simply screaming and falling to the ground.
Voices of police and other first responders could be heard yelling for Bushnell to get “on the ground,” and calling for fire extinguishers.
Bushnell lies on the ground burning as the officers finally get a hold of extinguishers and use them on his smoldering body.
D.C. Police said in a post on X that it responded on the scene to assist the United States Secret Service.
“MPD responded to the 3500 block of International Drive, NW, at approximately 1:00 p.m., to assist the United States Secret Service after an individual set themselves on fire in front of an embassy in the block.”
“An adult male was transported by DC Fire and EMS to a local hospital where they remain in critical condition. MPD is working with the USSS and ATF to investigate the incident,” it added.
#Incident: MPD responded to the 3500 block of International Drive, NW, at approximately 1:00 p.m., to assist the United States Secret Service after an individual set themselves on fire in front of an embassy in the block. (1/3)
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) February 25, 2024
Later, the DC Fire Department said they responded to a call for a person on fire outside the Israeli Embassy and arrived to find the fire extinguished by members of the Secret Service Uniformed Division.
At 12:58 PM @dcfireems responded to call for person on fire outside the Israeli Embassy. Arrived to find fire extinguished by members of @SecretService Uniformed Division. 1 adult male transported critical life threatening injuries to an area hospital. #DCBravest
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) February 25, 2024
According to an independent reporter named “Talia Jane,” Bushnell had emailed reporters on Sunday morning stating, ‘Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
The reporter also posted, along with the blurred video, that a friend named “Errico” who met Bushnell in 2022, said, “Aaron is the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force,” adding, “He’s always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face.”
Another friend named “Xylem” who worked with Bushnell to support the homeless in San Antonio, where he was allegedly stationed, told the reporter, “He is one of the most principled comrades I’ve ever known.”
The reporter later posted, “I’ve just received word that Aaron Bushnell succumbed to his injuries.”
According to a news blog, another alleged friend from San Antonio who worked with Bushnell on helping the “unhoused,” Bushnell “did incredible work here in San Antonio for various mutual aid and unhoused coalitions. He spent every penny and second he had on serving his community…And living his anarchist principles in action.”
According to a LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Bushnell, his location was “San Antonio, Texas.” He described himself as an “aspiring software engineer with educational and work experience in software development and Linux system administration, looking for SkillBridge programs to transition out of the US Air Force into software engineering.”
“I have a talent and a passion for solving complex problems with code,” he wrote. “I am truly passionate about writing software and can’t wait to help drive innovation in the civilian world.”
According to his profile, was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering from Western Governor’s University and was also attending Southern New Hampshire University.
He had served in the Air Force for three years and 10 months, according to his profile. His current job was “DevOps Engineer.”
“Throughout my time in the military in both leadership and followership roles, as well as prior work experience in a variety of civilian roles, I have thrived in team environments and gained very good communication skills. I have been commended by senior leaders for my ability to explain complex technical matters to them. I can bring many such soft skills to the table in any role,” he wrote.
He said he did “IT & Web Development” for Christian website “Paraclete Press” for two years from 2015 to 2017.
An Air Force spokeswoman, Ann Stefanek, confirmed to the New York Times on Sunday that the man was an active-duty airman.
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