Rest in Peace Aaron Bushnell

 

Yesterday 25 year old Active duty serviceman Aaron Bushnell self immolated outside israeli embassy in Washington in protest at the genocide in Gaza. Aaron Bushnell, recorded a video live on the Amazon-owned Twitch platform, enroute to the embassy gates in which he said he could 

‘no longer be complicit in genocide’. 

Despite the terrible protest he was about to make, he seemed quite calm and composed, saying that what he was about to suffer was nothing compared to the suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza:

 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 colonisers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.  Aaron Bushnell 

Arriving outside the front gate, Bushnell set down his phone, took eight paces, turned to face the camera, doused himself in an unknown accelerant, donned his service cap, and set himself alight. Security personnel attempted to put out the fire before Bushnell was rushed to hospital with extensive burns, but family members said that he later died of his injuries.

Before the act, which he reportedly live-streamed, Bushnell sent a message to news agencies: 

Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people. 

I cried when I saw Aaron Bushnell's final video. Don't look for it. He burns himself to death, shouting his  last words "Free Palestine." He remained standing for an unbelievable amount of time while he was burning. I don’t know where he got the strength to do it. He remained standing long after he’d stopped vocalizing. Such a brave young man.

As an emergency crew rushed to try and save Aaron Bushnell’s life an Israeli Embassy Agent held a gun fixed on him as he was dying from his self-immolation. That’s all they know how to do. One of the officers at  the scene said we need fire extinguishers not guns, those few words mean so much in so many different ways and can be used as such a big metaphor

Bushnell is said to have worked in IT for the US air force. Whether that led him to seeing things that his conscience couldn’t bear is not known. They'll smear Aaron Bushnell as mentally ill, but  his resume speaks for the shit he had access to. An active duty devops engineer, he really meant it when he said he will no longer be complicit in the genocide. 

The protest was reminiscent of Thich Quang Duc, Vietnamese Buddhist monk and the first of several to do so, who set himself on fire in protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the US-friendly South Vietnamese government in the 1960s. Duc’s sacrifice galvanised public opinion around the world and focused international attention on Vietnam.  Another victim of Israel’s genocide and war crimes, Bushnell clearly hoped that his protest would do the same and shock a complacent US government and (in part) public into action against the apartheid occupation regime and its war crimes.  

There were two aspects to his protest. One was against the subjugation, colonisation and genocide of Palestinians, the other was against its normalisation. 

Shame on all those media outlets who have ignored Aaron Bushnell’s protest or have left out what he said was the purpose of his action

 “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.”  Aaron Bushnell’s last Facebook post,

What a tragedy when brave young men, with high moral standards and acute sense of justice set themselves on fire while the world is thriving with genocidal psychopaths. This American soldier is a martyr of humanity and we shouldn't let his name be forgotten.

Aaron’s decision to take such extreme action underscores the depth of his commitment to raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. His selfless act serves as a poignant reminder of the immense suffering endured by innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of conflict and violence. While the circumstances surrounding Aaron’s passing are undoubtedly tragic, his courageous protest has sparked important conversations about the urgent need for peace and justice in the region. 

The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while a temporary cease-fire deal is being negotiated. Israel ’s military offensive in Gaza, however, has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.

Aaron Bushnell's unwavering dedication  advocating for the rights of the oppressed will not be forgotten, and his sacrifice will serve as a catalyst for change. As we mourn the loss of Aaron Bushnell, let us also reflect on the issues he sought to address through his activism. The plight of the Palestinian people demands our attention and action, and Aaron’s sacrifice reminds us of the urgent need to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, my thoughts and prayers are with Aaron’s loved ones, friends, and fellow activists.

The flames that consumed Aaron Bushnell today were more than a physical manifestation of anguish; they symbolized the depth of his despair and the urgency of his message. In a world marred by conflict and indifference, Aaron sought to ignite the collective conscience, sacrificing himself in a final act of defiance against the silence surrounding the suffering in Gaza.

Rest in Peace Aaron Bushnell your bravery will  not  go in  vain, your selflessness is a real lesson of courage for us, may your memory be blessed. You refused to be an accomplice to genocide. Standing up for what you believe in, and sacrificing your life to do it (in this case alone) takes more than what most of us have. May we all have the courage and bravery you showed us. There is only so much evil in the World people are prepared to stomach. 

Let us turn our sorrow into anger, and our anger into action. Honour Aaron Bushnell.  Don’t stop talking about Rachel Corrie. Don’t stop talking about Shireen Abu Akleh. Don’t stop talking about Refaat Alareer. Don’t stop talking about Palestine. May Aaron Bushnell's resounding last words become a reality in our day. We cannot allow his tragic death to be in vain and must continue calling out the evil atrocities perpetrated daily against Palestinians. We must all say "I will not be complicit" and  "Free Palestine."