USAF airman Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire revealed as anarchist activist

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Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old airman, died after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, as a form of protest against the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Desiring to leave the US Air Force, Bushnell was known for his anarchist activism. His demise was a direct result of this act of self-immolation. His interest in anarchist activism was evident on his Facebook page, which showed his engagement with multiple related groups, the Post Millennial reports.

A friend of Bushnell, in conversation with SNB13, highlighted his commitment to living out his anarchist beliefs, particularly during his time in San Antonio, Texas. Although his Twitch streaming account, which once featured an anarchist symbol alongside a Palestinian flag, has since been removed, it underscores his political stance and the lengths to which he went to express his convictions.

Bushnell's LinkedIn page also showed that he was looking to "transition out of the US Air Force into software engineering."

Bushnell broadcasted his self-immolation live on Twitch as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinian sovereignty. He used the username LillyAnarKitty for the stream. Additionally, other accounts bearing the name Anarkitty and displaying symbols associated with anarchist activism have been noted for their similarity.

The video was posted on his Facebook profile, where it captioned the post, "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."

Another page dedicated to anarchist activism noted that his username was in alignment with a symbol universally recognized as representing anarchism.

The page states that Bushnell sent an email to the anarchists saying, “Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people. The below links should take you to a livestream and recorded footage of the event, which will be highly disturbing. I ask that you make sure that the footage is preserved and reported on.”

In the video, which sees Bushnell walking toward the embassy, he states: "My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active-duty member of the US Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m 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."

The event was shared on X by others, where, following his self-immolation, Bushnell was heard repeatedly shouting "Free Palestine" before falling to the ground. Nearby officers intervened to extinguish the flames, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

A Secret Service spokesman said after the event, "The US 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."

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from the Metropolitan Police Department was summoned to investigate a vehicle believed to be associated with Bushnell at the scene.

On Sunday, when the event occurred, the Israel Embassy released a statement, saying, "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."