Aaron Bushnell, the American soldier who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, saying he would “not participate in genocide” in Gaza, has died in hospital.
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department released a statement confirming that 25-year-old Bushnell died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy.
An active member of the US Air Force set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington on Sunday as a sign of protest against the war in Gaza, according to numerous US media.
“I will no longer be an accomplice in genocide. I am about to embark on an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people are experiencing in Palestine at the hands of the colonizers, this is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling elite has decided is going to be normal,” 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell said before setting himself on fire.
A video showing his protest appearance and the moment Bushnell caught fire went viral.
The fire was extinguished by Secret Service personnel, and Bushnell was subsequently taken to a hospital with “critical life-threatening injuries,” where he died.
His last words were: “Free Palestine.”
