US Airman Self-Immolates Outside Israeli Embassy in Protest of Gaza War

Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active-duty airman in the US Air Force, died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on Sunday in an act of protest against the ongoing war between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the incident, with officers with the US Secret Service and the city’s fire department responding to the incident around 1 p.m.

The airman filmed and livestreamed his protest on Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch. In the video, which has since been removed for violating Twitch’s guidelines, Bushnell expressed his refusal to be complicit in what he described as genocide. He declared his act to be one of extreme protest, stating, “Compared to what people are experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling fascists decided will be normal.” He then set himself ablaze and shouted, “Free Palestine!”

His live broadcast was later shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Talia Jane, with permission from Bushnell’s family. The US Air Force has confirmed Bushnell’s service and announced a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. In an X post, Jane cites an acquaintance of Bushnell’s named Errico, who describes him as the “kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the air force.”