A US Air Force official on Sunday set himself on fire in front of a Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. In a viral video circulating on internet the individual can be seen setting himself on fire and raising slogans such as 'Free Palestine'. Following the incident, the man was immediately rushed to a hospital where his condition is critical, according to media reports.
The video streamed live on Twitch, a live streaming service which showed a man standing in front gate of the Israel Embassy wearing a uniform. The New York Times reported that the man was an active-duty airman, confirmed by U.S. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek on Sunday after the video went viral.
“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”, the individual can be heard saying in the video.
TW: The visuals in this video might be disturbing for some readers, Viewers discretion advised
Who was this Air Force official who was protesting?
The name man who appeared in the video is yet unknown. However, The New York Times reported that the name matches to an active-duty Air Force officer from Texas, based on a LinkedIn account. A spokesperson for the Air Force informed Task & Purpose that the individual is was active-duty airman, confirms New York Times.
Following the incident where the man set himself on fire, authorities at the scene repeatedly asked him to get on the ground. One person immediately used a fire extinguisher on him, while another appeared to taking his firearm out.
The video quickly went viral and was circulated on Twitch but was soon was taken down as it violated the platform's guidelines. The Air Force was unable to confirm whether the man was genuinely a serving member or not.
According to New York Post, Spokesperson from DC and EMS confirmed that officials were quickly sent to the scene at 1pm on Sunday. However, by the time they arrived, members of the US Secret Service had already extinguished the flames. The man was quickly taken to a local hospital, where he his sustained fatal fire injury.
The numerous protest related incidents have been reported at the Israel Embassy in US since the Hamas attack started and conflicts continued in Gaza.
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