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US Air Force member sets himself on fire, shouts ‘Free Palestine’ outside Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC
The incident took place on Sunday, February 25, following which the man was reportedly in critical condition
A horrifying video shows a US Air Force member setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. The incident took place on Sunday, February 25, following which he was reportedly in critical condition.
A video that was live streamed on Twitch showed the man, wearing his uniform, standing in front of the gate of the embassy. He identified himself as a member of the US Air Force. The New York Times and Washington Post cited officials who confirmed the video and the man in it.
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide [in Gaza]. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” the man said before setting himself on fire. He is heard repeatedly yelling “Free Palestine!”
Who is the man who set himself on fire?
The name of the man used in the video has not been shared publicly. However, the New York Times reported that it matches a LinkedIn account for an active-duty Air Force officer from Texas. According to a spokesperson for the Air Force told Task & Purpose, the man is an active-duty airman.
After the man set himself ablaze, authorities on the scene kept asking him to get down on the ground. While one person sprayed him with a fire extinguisher, another seemed to draw his gun.
Shortly after going viral on Twitch, the video was removed as it violated the app’s guidelines. The Air Force was not able to verify whether the man was indeed an active serviceman.
Around 1 pm, after the incident, first responders were sent to the scene, a spokesperson from DC Fire and EMS told New York Post. However, members of the US Secret Service had already put out the flames by the time they arrived. He was rushed to a local hospital. He suffered life-threatening injuries.
