The airman, who filmed the incident and could be heard yelling “Free Palestine,” was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after collapsing to the ground.

The U.S. Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., in an apparent protest against the Israel-Hamas war has died, according to a U.S. official.

Next of kin notification is continuing, so the Air Force won’t release his name until 24 hours after the final notification is complete.

The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Service Department responded to a call about a person on fire outside the embassy just before 1 p.m. Sunday, and found the flames extinguished by the Secret Service’s uniformed division.

  • Tremble@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    I disagree. Fairly certain it got politicians attention. When your own soldiers are standing outside of your house setting themselves on fire it’s probably best to pay attention to the message.

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      It wasn’t “soldiers”, it was one guy. One person who wasted their life, instead of lobbying for what they wanted.

      Now he’ll never get to vote, donate, or campaign for what he believed in. He actually hurt his cause in the long run.

      “No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country.”

      – General George S. Patton

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          You change your vote based on people killing themselves? Like if you are pro-choice and a pro-life person killed themselves, you would change your mind? Do you look up stats on the number of people on both sides who kill themselves and compare them? Do you think suicidal people are a good basis for a system of government?

          If you do any of those things, you are not a normal voter. Voters do not care about that at all. It grabs attention, but just talking to your friend about who you’re voting for is much more persuasive. If you kill yourself people rightfully think you have mental issues.

          • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            You’re going out of your way to misunderstand this.

            This can sway my vote and yes, things that people are willing to give their lives for are very compelling to me.