A serving US Air Force officer is in a critical condition in hospital after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in DC and livestreaming the results.
Horrifying video was broadcast uploaded to social media channel Twitch on Saturday afternoon after the man dressed in combat fatigues declared ‘I will no longer be complicit in genocide’.
Flames spread over the man’s body after he shouted: ‘I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest,’ before repeatedly shouting Free Palestine!’
Authorities responded to the embassy around 1 p.m. on Sunday and found the man with burn injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department told DailyMail.com.
He is in critical condition and was taken to the hospital by DC Fire and EMS with critical and life-threatening injuries.’
A spokesperson for the US Air Force confirmed to Task & Purpose that the man in uniform is an active-duty airman. The airman’s identity has not been confirmed.
The scene outside the Israeli embassy was livestreamed to Twitch
A man has set himself on fire outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC
He is in critical condition and was taken to the hospital by DC Fire and EMS with critical and life-threatening injuries’
Authorities responded to the embassy around 1 p.m. on Sunday and found the man with burn injuries
The investigation is ongoing
A spokesperson from the Secret Service told DailyMail.com, ‘The U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division responded to the 3400 Block of International Drive, NW, DC regarding an individual that was experiencing a possible medical / mental health emergency’
A spokesperson from the Secret Service told DailyMail.com, ‘The U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division responded to the 3400 Block of International Drive, NW, DC regarding an individual that was experiencing a possible medical / mental health emergency.’
‘DC Fire & EMS responded to the scene and treated the individual prior to transport to an area hospital.’
The three-minute video records a voice saying, ‘Hi, sir, can I help you?’ as the airman approaches the embassy gates.
Twelve seconds later the voice is heard asking again ‘Can I help you, sir?’ before the the man sets himself on fire.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal was called to the scene in reference to a suspicious vehicle that may be connected to the person.
Video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed first responders on the scene outside of the embassy.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Israeli embassy released a statement after the incident, reading: ‘On Sunday, 2/25, at around 1 PM, a man set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The man is unknown. No Embassy staff were injured and are safe.’
A similar incident occurred in December when a pro-Palestine protestor set themselves ablaze outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta.
The city’s police chief, Darin Schierbaum, described the incident as an ‘extreme act of political protest,’ and said a Palestinian flag was recovered from the scene.
At least two people were injured in the act of self-immolation, including a security guard who attempted to intervene.