Full video of Aaron Bushnell setting himself on fire outside Israel Embassy goes viral
According to a video shared on social media, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force protested Israel’s war in Gaza on Sunday by setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The protestor has passed away at the hospital.
Full video of Aaron Bushnell setting himself on fire outside Israel Embassy goes viral on Twitter/X and Reddit after his death
Following his Sunday afternoon transfer to a nearby hospital, 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell passed away, an email from a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) official informed Newsweek.
In a video of the event, Aaron Bushnell declares, “My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.” “I am about to carry out an extreme act of protest, but it’s not at all extreme in comparison to what the people of Palestine have been going through at the hands of their occupiers. This is what the people in power have determined would be typical.”
In the video, Bushnell can be seen approaching the Israeli embassy’s driveway, setting his phone down, covering himself with an unidentified substance from a container, lighting it, and continuously shouting, “Free Palestine.” There are screams from law enforcement telling Bushnell to get down. He’s lying on the ground, screaming in agony, when one of them raises a gun at him.
Warning 18+
His name was Aaron Bushnell. He burned himself alive to protest a foreign war supported and backed by the US government. He was an American citizen. He's been trashed by those still alive. He's dead.
https://t.co/Z5onpE0t70— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) February 27, 2024
While one police officer uses a fire extinguisher to spray him, the other keeps his rifle drawn. When firemen got on the scene, the U.S. Secret Service had already put out the fire, according to a post on X, previously Twitter, from D.C. Fire and EMS.
An investigation has been started.
The MPD spokesperson said officers arrived to support the Secret Service at about 1:00 p.m. The spokeswoman continued, “The department is investigating the incident in collaboration with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.”
Bushnell worked with the Air Force as a cyber defence operations expert at Joint Base San Antonio’s 531st Intelligence Support Squadron. He began his active duty assignment in May 2020.
RIP Aaron Bushnell 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Z8TPgBRws9
— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) February 27, 2024
The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing commander, Col. Celina Noyes, stated, “Every member of the Air Force feels it when a tragedy like this occurs.” “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell.”
Who was Aaron Bushnell?
According to a LinkedIn profile of Bushnell, he was most recently a DevOps engineer and had served in the Air Force since 2020. He is characterized as an “aspiring software engineer” on the page, with “a talent and passion for solving complex problems with code.”
According to Facebook, he was attending Western Governors University to get a bachelor’s degree in software engineering. He has previously attended Southern New Hampshire University to study software development and the University of Maryland Global Campus to study computer science.
The US Air Force soldier, His last words were "Free Palestine" in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC.
RIP Aaron Bushnell #Aaron_Bushnell#Aaron_Bushnell pic.twitter.com/PdCw6AXNHc
— ابراهيم الزين (@abrahimalzayn) February 27, 2024
Bushnell’s protest coincides with news that over 30,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israel’s attack on Hamas, according to The Associated Press, which cited the Health Ministry in Gaza. After around 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, Israel declared war. Since then, Israel’s air and ground campaign has displaced nearly 80% of Gaza’s residents from their homes.
"You killed that man!" an activist yelled at Secret Service guarding the Israeli Embassy. "
You pulled your guns out instead of a fire extinguisher!"Ashes from U.S. airman Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation remained on the sidewalk beside the officers' feet. https://t.co/cCSYTFBNqm pic.twitter.com/PgzxR5FfRw
— Suppressed Voice. (@SuppressedNws) February 27, 2024