An incident unfolded on Sunday outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, where an active-duty member of the US Air Force set himself on fire, as confirmed by both the Air Force and local authorities.
The Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene to assist the United States Secret Service after receiving reports of the individual setting themselves ablaze in front of the embassy.
Identified as Aaron Bushnell in a video reviewed by CNN, the man expressed his opposition to what he perceived as complicity in genocide and proclaimed his act as a minimal response compared to the suffering of Palestinians.
In the footage, Bushnell pours an unidentified liquid over himself before igniting it while shouting “Free Palestine.” He collapsed as police intervened to extinguish the flames. Rose Riley, a US Air Force spokesperson, confirmed the involvement of an active-duty Airman in the incident.
The man was critically injured and transported to a local hospital by DC Fire and EMS. The Israeli Embassy reported no injuries to its staff. The fire was already extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, aided by the US Secret Service. Investigation efforts are underway involving the Metropolitan Police Department, the Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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