Self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell

On February 25, 2024, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old serviceman of the United States Air Force, died after setting himself on fire outside the front gate of the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. Immediately before the act, which was live-streamed on Twitch, Bushnell said that he was protesting against "what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers" and declared that he "will no longer be complicit in genocide", after which he doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire.

As he burned, Bushnell repeatedly shouted "Free Palestine!" After he collapsed onto the ground, two Secret Service officers attempted to extinguish the flames while a third covered for them with their weapon. The Metropolitan Police Department also responded to assist the Secret Service. Bushnell was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and was declared dead in the evening.

Bushnell's act was the second self-immolation protesting United States support for Israel in the Gaza war. In December 2023, another protestor set herself on fire at the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Some viewed Bushnell's act as heroic and called him a martyr. Others argued that Bushnell's act should not be praised or viewed as a legitimate form of political protest, warning about "copycats" who might imitate it.