Hundreds mourn in Washington as US airman in Gaza protest dies

from Daily Sabah

 

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. on Monday to mourn the US airman who died after setting himself on fire in protest of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Many hoped that the death of Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, would spark change in U.S. President Joe Biden's hitherto unwavering support for the war.

Leah, a Palestinian American who declined to provide her last name, told Anadolu Agency that she believed it was important for her to attend the vigil "to show solidarity and support with those who are taking extreme acts of resistance that shows their solidarity and support with Palestine and our people."

Asked if she believed Bushnell's death would change the course of the war, she said, "That's the hope."...

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Final Thoughts on Aaron Bushnell: Palestine Doesn't Need More Martyrs

Aaron Bushnell made a decision that he thought was the best one for himself. I don't think we live in a world where making a statement like that can garner enough attention or empathy to make the kind of difference he must have hoped it would make. Just ask the man who did the same thing in early Dec of 2023. Palestine doesn't need martyrs. She needs toilers. She needs protesters. She needs us. 

News Du Jour: Aaron Bushnell, Maui Land Grab and Gaza

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US soldier (Aaron Bushnell) sets himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in Washington to protest war on Gaza

from  Middle East Eye

 

image of man burning blocked out by MEE

 “I will no longer be complicit in genocide.” An active-duty member of the US Air Force, Aaron Bushnell, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC on Sunday in protest against the war on Gaza. In a video of the act, which Bushnell filmed himself and live-streamed on Twitch, the 25-year-old said he was going to “engage in an extreme act of protest but” but went on to say that his actions were minimal compared to the suffering of Palestinians. Bushnell poured a liquid over himself and ignited it while yelling “Free Palestine” repeatedly. Police officers rushed to douse the flames with fire extinguishers as Bushnell collapsed. He was transported to a local hospital and was last reported to be in critical condition.