Fatigues-clad man sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in D.C.
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The event has caught the attention of many on social media platforms with posts indicating that he is a former US Air Force soldier.
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Law enforcement officers patrol in Washington, D.C. in 2021 (AFP)
A man is in critical condition after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., local Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) confirmed to The Daily Beast.
D.C. FEMS responded to a call about a person on fire just before 1 pm on Sunday. “We arrived to find an apparent adult male who had been on fire,” Vito Maggiolo, the FEMS public information officer, said, adding that US Secret Service members had extinguished it.
The man was rushed to a local hospital to be treated for “critical life-threatening injuries.”
Commenting on the incident, the Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement confirming that an individual set himself on fire near the Israeli embassy in Washington.
The statement further noted that the individual involved was not previously familiar with the embassy before the self-immolation incident.
A US soldier in his uniform has self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington to protest against Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) February 25, 2024
The event has caught the attention of many on social media platforms with posts indicating that a former US Air Force Soldier in uniform reportedly set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington to protest the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Social media users circulated news that the individual, wearing fatigues, introduced himself as “an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force."
" I will no longer be complicit in genocide," he reportedly said.
After setting himself on fire, he reportedly repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine".
This incident has sparked conversations and responses online increasing the exposure of this act of self-immolation as a form of protest.
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
This incident appears to be the second self-immolation outside an Israeli embassy in the United States. A similar incident occurred in December when a protester self-immolated at the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Authorities discovered a Palestinian flag near the consulate, which is an essential part of protests against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
This is a developing story...
