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Aaron Burned Himself To Make Us Look At Gaza
Like many readers here I feel helpless about the ongoing genocide against Palestinians committed by U.S. supported Zionist settlers in the West Bank and Gaza. I can not even find the right words to express myself about it.
Others are more consequential. And powerful. Disgust about the cruelty imposed on Palestinians can induce the utmost will to change things.
U.S. Air Force Member Sets Self on Fire Outside Israel’s Embassy in D.C. to Protest War in Gaza – Time, Feb 25 2024
An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, in apparent protest of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which he described as a “genocide.”
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The burn victim, who identified himself in video of the incident as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, reportedly succumbed to his injuries on Sunday night, according to independent journalist Talia Jane, who posted on social media that she is in contact with Bushnell’s family and friends.
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Bushnell reportedly sent a message to media outlets before his planned self-immolation. “Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people,” he warned. …
On Facebook Sunday morning, he also wrote: “Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’ The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.” The post included a link to a live-stream of his protest on the web-broadcasting platform Twitch, which has since removed the video for violations of its community guidelines and terms of service. “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” the airman repeated, in footage reviewed by TIME, as he walked toward the driveway of the Israeli embassy. “But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
After Bushnell doused himself with liquid and reached for his lighter, unidentified law enforcement or security officers could be heard asking off-screen, “Can I help you?” After setting himself aflame, he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.”
A security man decided to 'help' by pointing his gun on the dying man.
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A censored video of the incident is here.
Rest in peace, Aaron Bushnell. Rest. In. Peace.
I learned more about the honorable Airman Aaron Bushnell by reading this:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2024/02/29/democracy_now_the_life__death_of_aaron_bushnell_us_airman_self-immolates_protesting_us_support_for_israel_in_gaza.html
snips: “Ali Abunimah, the founder of The Electronic Intifada, wrote on social media, quote, “Aaron Bushnell gave his life so that America would hear his message: End the genocide. He kept calling ‘Free Palestine’ through intense, horrifying pain. He gave his life so people in Gaza might live. There’s no greater love than that. I feel sadness and awe for this human being,” Ali wrote.”
LEVI PIERPONT (note he is Aaron’s friend being interviewed) : “I want people to remember that his death is not in vain, that he died to spotlight this message. I don’t want anybody else to die this way. If he had asked me about this, I would have begged him not to. I would have done anything I could to stop him. But, obviously, we can’t get him back. And we have to honor the message that he left. I would have told him that this wasn’t necessary to get the message out. I would have told him that there were other ways. But seeing the way that the media responds now, now that this has happened, it’s hard not to feel like he was right, that this was exactly what was necessary to get people’s attention about the genocide that’s happening in Palestine. And so, I just — I want people to remember his message.”
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Ann Wright (also being interviewed), your sense of how the movement here in this country to stop this genocidal war in Gaza has been building, and what Aaron Bushnell’s sacrifice may contribute to that?
ANN WRIGHT: Well, it’s a huge, huge movement. And the Biden administration must recognize it, as your previous guests said. I mean, the voters are telling them a message. This is a massive, massive movement of youth, of people of all religions, that are saying, by any religious teachings, this killing is wrong. It has to end.
And I would say to Levi, you know, we have Veterans for Peace, and we have About Face, veterans organizations that would like to offer you support, because this is tough, really tough. But it’s for the people of Gaza, the people of Palestine, that we do this, to stop these horrible, horrible policies that our country has right now. The killing of innocent people for the United States and for Israel, it has to end. And ceasefire now.
AMY GOODMAN: Ann, I understand there is a Gaza flotilla being organized. We only have 30 seconds. Can you explain what that is?
ANN WRIGHT: Yes. We need to take action. I mean, right now there’s lots of talk. There are trucks that are stalled all over northern Egypt. And our Gaza flotilla movement, we are going to be doing something soon. And we will let you all know — pardon me — as soon as we get the plans for challenging again the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.
AMY GOODMAN: And do you know, Levi, as we have just 10-15 seconds, would Aaron have described this as suicide?
LEVI PIERPONT: No, absolutely not.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain.
LEVI PIERPONT: It was — he didn’t have thoughts of suicide. He had thoughts of justice. That’s what this was about. It wasn’t about his life. It was about using his life to send a message.
——–more at link——-
please also note this post is not meant to endorse that site or persons other than the interviewed and of course the most honorable Aaron Bushnell.
hope you are all still doing searches on his name so the internet can never ignore the numbers!
Posted by: DuchessAndBob | Mar 1 2024 16:52 utc | 362
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