Aaron Burned Himself To Make Us Look At Gaza

 

moon of  alabama

Like many readers here I feel helpless about the ongoing genocide against Palestinians committed by U.S. supported Zionist settlers in the West Bank and Gaza. I can not even find the right words to express myself about it.

Others are more consequential. And powerful. Disgust about the cruelty imposed on Palestinians can induce the utmost will to change things.

U.S. Air Force Member Sets Self on Fire Outside Israel’s Embassy in D.C. to Protest War in Gaza - Time, Feb 25 2024

An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, in apparent protest of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which he described as a “genocide.”
...
The burn victim, who identified himself in video of the incident as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, reportedly succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night, according to independent journalist Talia Jane, who posted on social media that she is in contact with Bushnell’s family and friends.

bigger

Bushnell reportedly sent a message to media outlets before his planned self-immolation. “​​Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people,” he warned. ...

On Facebook Sunday morning, he also wrote: “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.” The post included a link to a live-stream of his protest on the web-broadcasting platform Twitch, which has since removed the video for violations of its community guidelines and terms of service. “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” the airman repeated, in footage reviewed by TIME, as he walked toward the driveway of the Israeli embassy. “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.”

After Bushnell doused himself with liquid and reached for his lighter, unidentified law enforcement or security officers could be heard asking off-screen, “Can I help you?” After setting himself aflame, he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.”

A security man decided to 'help' by pointing his gun on the dying man.

bigger

A censored video of the incident is here.

Rest in peace, Aaron Bushnell. Rest. In. Peace.

Posted by b on February 26, 2024 at 13:56 UTC | Permalink

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/02/aaron-burned-himself-to-make-us-look-at-gaza.html