U.S. Air Force Member Takes Extreme Measures to Protest Against the Israel-Hamas War

According to a U.S. official, the Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. has died.

An active duty member of the U.S. Air Force immolates himself infront of Israeli Embassy in DC, saying “I Will No Longer Be Complicit In Genocide. Free Palestine.” pic.twitter.com/w9Ms23Fbh8

— (Commentary) حسن نصر الله (@SH_NasrallahEng) February 25, 2024

The Air Force will not officially release his name as the next of kin notification is in process.

The name will be released 24 hours after the final notification is complete.

While the name is not officially released, many have posted the horrifying video on X with the name posted:

“I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest but compared to what the people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonisers it’s not extreme at all.”

Aaron Bushnell, 25, a member of the U.S. Air Force, set himself on fire yesterday in front of the… pic.twitter.com/4zgIgQkex4

— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) February 26, 2024

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⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

Aaron Bushnell 25 air force member of U.S ,,Lights himself on fire 🔥 in front of Israeli embbsy in protest. His last words, “I don’t want to be complicit in this Genocide #FreePalesine

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ https://t.co/oysDLmht0a pic.twitter.com/6Gm51egjlQ

— ּا̍حۡــمۘــد (@l_d70) February 26, 2024

NBC News has more on the event:

The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Service Department responded to a call about a person on fire outside the embassy just before 1 p.m. Sunday, and found the flames extinguished by the Secret Service’s uniformed division.

The airman filmed the protest, yelling “Free Palestine” and collapsing to the ground.

In a livestream, he called the Israeli crackdown in Gaza “genocide” and said what he was doing was not as extreme as the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Dressed in military fatigues, he put his phone down and filmed himself dousing liquid from a water bottle over his head and lighting himself on fire.

The man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, D.C. Fire and EMS said. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed he was active duty.

Thankfully, none of the staff members at the embassy were injured.

The video was live streamed on Twitch, in which he identified himself and stated he was a serving member of the Air Force.

BBC News has more on the recent events regarding the Israel-Hamas war:

It is not the first time someone has self-immolated in front of an Israeli diplomatic mission in the US.

In December, a protester set themselves on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in the US state of Georgia.

Police said the demonstrator used petrol, and a Palestinian flag was found at the scene on that occasion.

Many individuals have taken to X to voice their opinions of the tragic event:

Curious as to what he has to say about Aaron Bushnell, an active U.S. Air Force service member who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in D.C., chanting “Free Palestine” as he burned to death. His death is on Biden’s hands. https://t.co/bv5J9mgnVs

— James Ray 🔻 (@GoodVibePolitik) February 26, 2024

Our troops understand the horror of what America is making possible in Palestine, even if leadership is just fine with genocide. May his memory be for blessing.

— Brooklyn Cybele (@brooklyncybele) February 26, 2024

RIP Aaron Bushnell, a 25 year old active duty member of the U.S. Air Force, who self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington yesterday. His final words were Free Palestine.

It wasn’t mental illness that caused him to do it, it was legitimate moral outrage.

— Anthony Anaxagorou (@Anthony1983) February 26, 2024