‘This is horrific’: Internet shocked as US Air Force serviceman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington DC

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WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES: A man has died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, February 25. 

The burn victim, who identified himself in the video of the incident as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, reportedly succumbed to his injuries, according to independent journalist Talia Jane, who posted on social media that she is in contact with Bushnell’s family and friends.

The Metropolitan police department said it responded to an incident on International Drive around 1 pm to assist the Secret Service. Fire and emergency services said the man had serious burn injuries and was taken to the hospital. The DC Police Department shared on X, "An adult male was transported by DC Fire and EMS [Emergency Medical Services] to a local hospital where they remain in critical condition." 

Why did Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire? 

A video posted online shows a man in a uniform shouting “Free Palestine” as he was engulfed in flames. Bushnell walked up to the embassy and began live streaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, The Guardian reports. He set his phone down and then doused himself in a fluid and setting it alight, saying at one point, he “will no longer be complicit in genocide.” However, the video was later removed from the streaming platform.

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the man was an active duty airman.

The Israeli embassy said none of its employees were hurt. The embassy has been the focus of protests by pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for a ceasefire to the Israeli military offensive in Gaza with the death toll likely to pass 30,000 this week.

According to The Guardian, Israeli strikes have killed 29,692 Palestinians in Gaza since October, two-thirds of them women and children, and injured 69,879.

The strike came after Hamas' cross-border assaults on Israel on October 7, which resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and more than 200 hostages. In a different incident, a protester lit himself on fire in front of an Israeli embassy in Atlanta in December of last year. A guard and the protester both suffered severe burns.

Internet reacts to the 'horrific' incident

Several people on the Internet reacted to this incident. A user wrote, "This is horrific man, it should not have to come to this for the government to listen."  The next user wrote, "I hope he survives this ..much love and respect." A user wrote, "He couldn't endure the pain of Gaza and burned himself." A user even said, "A good soul, I hope he will survive."

Another user called the incident "wild," saying, "The balls on him! That's wild, and extremely unfortunate it has to come to this. Something major has to be done for the government to wake and do the right thing." The next user wrote, "I hope he survives." 

A user went on saying, "OMG! I get it, the desperation, I do, I've even thought about it, but oh my goodness, the pain." While a user said, " I saw this coming 21 weeks of protesting with no answer Frustration sucks."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.