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Man who self-immolated in front of Israeli embassy in Washington dies

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US Air Force member Aaron Bushnell died after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC. His last words were ‘Free Palestine’.

On Sunday afternoon, 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell filmed himself walking towards the Israeli embassy in Washington DC while wearing his military uniform. Broadcasting on Twitch live stream, he said:

‘My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active duty member of the US Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. 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 colonisers, it is not extreme at all.’

Once in front of the embassy, Bushnell propped up his phone on the ground, poured a translucent liquid over his body, and lit himself on fire. As the flames engulfed him, Bushnell could be heard repeatedly shouting ‘Free Palestine’.

Off camera, law-enforcement officers can be heard yelling at Bushnell to ‘get on the ground’ several times. Seconds later, another officer says, ‘I don’t need guns, I need fire extinguishers’.

Several hours later, Bushnell succumbed to his injuries in hospital and was pronounced dead.

The live-streamed video has since been pulled from Twitch, but not before it was screen-recorded and reposted across other digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X.

An ongoing investigation into the life of Aaron Bushnell reveals that he resided in San Antonio, Texas and joined the Air Force back in 2020.

Despite graduating at the ‘top of his class’ and excelling in his field, Bushnell recently posted on LinkedIn that he was looking to transition away from the US military and into a career in software engineering.

Further details show that Bushnell volunteered with San Antonio Care Collective to help people living on the city’s streets during his free time. Those who knew him said he regularly developed friendships with those housed in shelters and would purchase supplies for the facilities including blankets, clothing, and food.

Before his planned death, Bushnell composed a will which he shared with several close friends. In it, he detailed his final wishes, including that he would like his neighbour to care for his cat.

Almost immediately, mainstream American media began trying to paint Aaron Bushnell in a negative light – likely hoping to discredit his outrage over what is taking place in Gaza.

The public incident report provided by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia describes Secret Service members receiving ‘a distress call regarding an individual exhibiting signs of mental distress outside the Israeli embassy.’

In the 144 days since Hamas’ attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people and took 253 people hostage, Israel has killed 30,000 people in Gaza. More than 85 percent of Gaza’s population – 1.9 million civilians – have been displaced due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign.

Despite continuous international cries for a ceasefire, including accusations that Israel is committing genocide in the International Court of Justice, little has been done to stop Israel’s assault on Gaza which has rapidly transformed into a humanitarian crisis.

In fact, documents released last month appear to suggest that the Biden Administration has been tasking members of the US Air Force with helping Israel identify targets for air strikes.

Attempts to paint Bushnell as mentally unwell may be swirling, however, acts of self-immolation have historically taken place as a form of extreme protest during periods of severe religious or political turmoil.

In modern times, the act is most famously associated with a Buddhist monk named Thich Quang Duc who set himself on fire in Saigon, Vietnam in 1963 in protest of the US-backed persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government.

The image of a man sitting in flames shocked the world and became a symbol of the fight against injustice. Speaking of the photo, President John F. Kennedy said, ‘No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.’

It is also not the first time that self-immolation was committed by an American to draw attention to the Palestinian cause.

In December, an unidentified protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Sadly, the act hardly made news headlines but was believed to be an ‘extreme act of political protest’ after a Palestinian flag was found at the scene.

Across the internet, Aaron Bushnell is being labelled a hero.

As people grow increasingly distressed at witnessing the ongoing suffering of people in Gaza, will the self-inflicted death of a US military serviceman be enough to answer international calls for a permanent ceasefire?

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). Originally from Bermuda, I moved to London to get a Master’s degree in Media & Communications and now write for Thred to spread the word about positive social change, specifically ocean health and marine conservation. You can also find me dipping my toes into other subjects like pop culture, health, wellness, style, and beauty.  Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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