A protester holds a placard displaying a photo of Aaron Bushnell, the US Air Force soldier who set himself on fire, claiming that he would not be a part of the attacks in Gaza [Getty file photo]
Activists in Washington, D.C., gathered to mark the first anniversary of US Air Force pilot Aaron Bushnell’s death, after he set himself on fire in protest against the war in Gaza last year.
Three events were held across the US capital—one outside the White House and two outside the Israeli Embassy—where demonstrators paid tribute to the 25-year-old, who died last year after livestreaming his self-immolation in opposition to what he described as genocide in Gaza.
The first gathering took place at midday outside the Israeli Embassy, coinciding with the exact time Bushnell set himself alight in 2024. Protesters chanted slogans condemning Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with many holding placards calling for an end to US support for the war.
A retired US Army soldier who attended the event, told our Arabic edition, “At exactly 12:48pm a year ago, Aaron Bushnell sacrificed his life to draw attention to the genocide in Gaza.” She added that Palestinians had suffered since 1947 and called for solidarity with oppressed people, even those outside one’s own community.
A second demonstration was held later in the evening outside the embassy, while a third took place in front of the White House, where participants lit candles in Bushnell’s memory.
During the vigil, a recording of Bushnell’s final moments was played. In the clip, filmed outside the Israeli Embassy last year, he declared: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” before setting himself on fire.
One speaker at the White House gathering said: “None of us should have had to know Aaron’s name. We learned it when a young pilot self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy. He was clear about why he chose to die—he wanted to draw attention to the US-funded genocide in Palestine.”
Attendees also recited prayers in both Arabic and Hebrew.
On 25 February 2024, Bushnell arrived at the Israeli Embassy in Washington wearing his official US Air Force uniform. In a livestream broadcast on social media, he told viewers: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers—it’s not extreme at all.”
He then poured a clear liquid over himself from a metal container, set himself on fire, and repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine!” before collapsing.
As he lay on the ground, a security officer aimed a gun at him and ordered him to “get on the ground”, an action that later sparked outrage on social media.
Bushnell was pronounced dead in hospital.
Aaron Bushnell was 25 years old and served as a software engineer in the US Air Force. He held a degree in software engineering from Western Governors University in Utah and had also studied computer science.
In 2020, he earned a certification in cybersecurity from the University of Maryland. Before joining the military, he worked in IT and network development at Paraclete Press from 2015 to 2017.
Bushnell’s self-immolation drew widespread attention online, with activists citing it as a powerful symbol of opposition to US support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
His protest came amid growing global demonstrations against the war, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
