Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active duty member of the US Air Force, self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC on Sunday after stating that "I will no longer be complicit in genocide."
"I am an active duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide," Bushnell said in video he livestreamed on Twitch. "I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all."
Bushnell then doused himself with accelerant and set himself on fire while repeatedly shouting, "Free Palestine!"
Bushnell succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night, Talia Jane reported.
WARNING: CENSORED BUT DISTURBING:
Loved ones of Aaron Bushnell, 25, reached out to me and gave me consent to post a blurred version of Bushnell’s protest today against genocide in Palestine.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 26, 2024
“Aaron is the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force,” said Errico, who met Bushnell in 2022. https://t.co/oQFc5r5XFo pic.twitter.com/wpRKVb8KSW
i lookup for his information, then i found his linkedin ... damn hurts. Rest in peace aaron bushnell pic.twitter.com/AKbJMrVSoW
— Paw (@xzalmn) February 26, 2024
Talia Jane first broke the story:
UPDATE: I got footage of the self-immolation at the Israeli embassy in DC.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
The individual, wearing fatigues, introduces himself as “an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
After ignition, he repeatedly yells “Free Palestine.” https://t.co/wk5LGK4Hp2 pic.twitter.com/EX1L8zG8tR
For a full minute, police (unknown sector, maybe fed or DC) see him, say “May I help you sir?” and as he’s on fire scream at him to get on the ground but do not otherwise engage. One cop appears with a gun drawn on the man after he collapses, still consumed by flames.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
It’s unclear if the man is still alive: The white shirt who responded first came across the device used to film the incident and made the video stop.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
“I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” he says calmly, walking down a street. “But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
It’s at this point off-screen security/police are heard saying “Can I help you?”: https://t.co/1bIgdQ2rWi
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
Per DC Fire & EMS, he is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and responding cops were Secret Service. https://t.co/lrAetcSEvQ
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
A LinkedIn belonging to a person with the same name shows 3 years in USAF and attending university for an undergrad in software engineering.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
As info has not yet been verified, I am not linking or sharing the name.
UPDATE:
UPDATE: Twitch nuked the channel!
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
For media verification: I screenshot the channel and screen recorded the video. EMAIL IN BIO. pic.twitter.com/p3zF9eRw49
Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds and Telegram.