U.S. Airman Sets Self on Fire Outside Israel’s Embassy

Seniod Airman Aaron Bushnel sets himself on fire, protesting Israel’s Genocide

Self-Immolation Protest Against Israeli Aggression

“My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme active protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal. Free Palestine!” ~ U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell, in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. as he lit himself on fire.

Senior Airman (SrA) Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active U.S. service member in the United States Air Force, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, February 25, 2024. Aaron Bushnell was rushed to the hospital on Sunday, where he succumbed to his injuries. He is from San Antonio, Texas.

SrA Bushnell live-streamed the act on that Sunday afternoon. He was wearing his Air Force duty uniform at the time of the incident. In the video, he screams Free Palestine while aflame. This was a brutal protest, as the pain of the blaze had him screaming in agony.

If you know me, I know what you’re thinking — no, I wasn’t present to document this protest live, as I’m in Washington DC nearly always present to document various protests.

I don’t know what I would have done if I was there. I think my gut instinct would be to talk him out of it. As a photojournalist, I try my best not to interfere with protests, reactions, and other events unfolding before me. Some state I do a good job at this, while others suggest I have a worse track record than Uatu in Marvel Comics. Anyway you slice it, I don’t think I could just let him do it, if I knew he was going to before hand.

An Undying Nightmare

“…I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme active protest.” ~ U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell

As an empath, his blood-gurgling screams were particularly terrifying to me. Maybe I figured he had some discipline not to make a sound while burning; the image of Thích Quảng Đức’s Vietnam protest rings a bell. His screams were piercing, because you know this isn’t a movie. This guy really set himself on fire, and his screams were real.

Through his screams of agony, I hear the screams of Palestinians, maimed and mutilated by Israel’s use of American weapon systems. Airman Bushnell single-handily brought the senseless violence of Israel’s genocide home. He let all Americans know firsthand what Palestinians are feeling.

To watch the video, edited or not, is to watch, or at least hear a young man die in real-time.

“But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is not extreme at all.” ~ U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell

Bushnell, while on fire, never wavered. He never had a change of mind. Aaron Bushnell — while set ablaze — never demanded anyone to put out the fire. He never demanded someone to make it quick. And when I mean make it quick, I mean kill him.

You’d think someone would have, as police officers were on the scene, aiming their service pistols at him as he fucking burned… yelling, “Get on the ground!”

Don’t worry Officer Stupid, I think in a matter of seconds, he’s going to.

The very fact that the police shoves a gun in his direction as he dies from flame and suffocation blows my mind. It highlights how mechanical and robotic police are. They only exist in America to protect the powerful, which in this case includes Israel and her cause for Palestinian genocide.

If you watch the video and have a heart, you will be appalled at the police reaction.

The Haze of Journalism

Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell is often stated to be a Soldier; this is false, flawed reporting. Bushnell was an Air Force member, not Army. This fact makes him an Airman, not a Soldier. The United States Air Force stopped being Soldiers (as the U.S. Army Air Corps) since 1947. Now I know your general meaning as non-military folk, but just let me clarify.

Final Thoughts

Good Soldiers follow orders. The best Soldiers? Know when not to.

Generally, I do not take kindly to protests while in uniform. I, while serving in the Army, have been to multiple protests (hence all photos taken before 2020) and have been mindful of never using my uniform.

The difference here is that I always saw a future beyond whatever protest event I’d observed. He, by way of his own choice, did not.

The fact that he protested while wearing his uniform did not spark my anger. In fact, I’m honored by it.

He woke up, like we all do in many cases, knowing he was going to die. If a member of the military wakes up knowing they are going to die, I think they earned the honor of making their uniform the last thing they wear. Thousands of military personnel die for questionable causes. Bushnell died for a noble one — stopping genocide. He earned the right to protest in his uniform. It is quite often that military folk have to take up causes of their own choosing to die for a noble cause.

Aaron Bushnell may have been young, but he earned that right. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine has earned the right to die in their uniform. Senior Airman Bushnell earned the right to protest in his uniform, being that a protest against a genocide is the last thing he will do.

I know what it’s like to feel complicit. I know what that’s like in more ways than one.

Complicit. Complicit is an interesting adjective, because unlike it’s sister word, “involved”, complicit has a less direct implication. Thus, to feel complicit evolves from a position of having a higher sense of personal responsibility. It requires a higher sense of personal growth, moral courage, and fortitude to own feeling complicit in any form of wrongdoing. Personally owning the state of being involved is easy; because you’re actively in it. Personally owning the state of being complicit however, is more difficult.

Personally owning the feeling of complicity, especially as a white male in the military is exceedingly difficult, being that there’s so many cultural and systemic barriers to diffuse and eradicate personal responsibility for white military men.

I tell you these things, because I want you to know how strong Aaron Bushnell is.

Rest In Peace, Aaron Bushnell.

While I doubt Israel will be moved by the self-sacrifice of one American service member…they fucking should be.

Do not be fooled; what Israel is doing goes far beyond “self-defense”. The government of Israel is actively committing genocide upon Palestinian people in Gaza. The government of Israel often hides behind the concept of being Jewish, as if they speak for all Jewish people. As if their acts of genocide are endorsed by all Jewish people — it is not.

Israel’s acceptance of innocent civilians of all ages (including infants and children) getting murdered and mutilated by their bombs and bullets goes far beyond American, British, or even Russian thresholds for collateral damage.

Israel is committing genocide upon Palestinians. You don’t have to self-immolate to protest this, I understand.

Rest In Peace, Aaron Bushnell.

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