Alissa AzarFeb 25, 2024

A man who introduced himself as an active duty member of the U.S Air Force self immolated today, stating “I will no longer be complicit in genocide” and repeatedly yelling “free Palestine” after he ignited himself. This happened outside of the Israeli Embassy in DC.

Of course one of the first things a cop did was draw his gun on him after he had collapsed and was on fire.

https://x.com/taliaotg/status/1761839190487278038?s=46&t=6pkogdo-vrGzHHrZyVCvFQ

Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) on X

UPDATE: I got footage of the self-immolation at the Israeli embassy in DC. The individual, wearing fatigues, introduces himself as “an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.” After ignition, he repeatedly yells “Free Palestine.”

X (formerly Twitter)
Show threadAlissa Azar

Aaron Bushnell was 25 years old. It is now confirmed that he has succumbed to his injuries.

Self immolation has to be the most desperate form of protest there is. Lighting yourself on fire so your cries for change can finally be heard. This is so heartbreaking. Friends of Aaron Bushnell shared how he used to feed houseless people in San Antonio, and the now-deleted twitch channel where he live-streamed his actions today seem to point to him being an anarchist. I don’t know for certain, but his profile photo was of a circle A/anarchy A, and his user name had “AnarKitty” in it.

Rest in Power 🖤

Feb 26, 2024 at 3:48amWeb
Show threadAlissa AzarFeb 26, 2024
Ooof.
Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
I guess I’d also be impotently protesting like everyone else. Great…
Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
perhaps instead of lighting ourselves on fire we should light the consulates on fire
Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
While I appreciate the sentiment, this really doesn’t accomplish anything. Frankly, I don’t think any action will accomplish anything. It hasn’t accomplished anything for the better for at least 76 years.
Show threadLethFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521 @alissaazar Shut the fuck up and look up the history of self-immolation as protest for five minutes.
Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
No need for hostility. I just don’t get how this is effective. Quite bold to assume I don’t know about the history of self-immolation as protest as well. Is it somehow evil for lack of a better term to be in despair at someone wasting their life to accomplish nothing while the people of Palestine suffer? We all know what is going on in Palestine. Awareness clearly isn’t helping. Neither is killing ourselves or shouting cliché chants and listening to self-important assholes at rallies organized by fucking PSL and the like. All I wonder is what could work to stop this ongoing genocide and truly bring about a free Palestine.
Show threadLethFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521 Someone killed themself in protest of how the world has gone to pot and your first instinct is to second-guess TACTICS and whether or not their sacrifice was worthwhile? To call you heartless would be an insult to robots, you fucking ghoul.
Show threadLethFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521 Take your faux respectability rhetoric and shove it directly up your festering asshole.
Show threadAethyrFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521 According to a Pew Research poll (pewresearch.org/politics/2023/12/08/americans-views-of-the-israel-hamas-war/), 20% of ppl in the US are unsure of the ‘Israel-Hamas war’ (the continuation of the genocide following October 6). That doesn’t necessarily mean all 20% don’t know anything about the genocide but it does mean that significant percentage of ppl in the US are a lot more open than you’d think to swaying one side or the other. Building awareness and, most importantly, fostering revolutionary thinking is crucial to facilitating the revolution in Palestine. Demonstrations are always the loudest way to communicate ideas to the people. Regardless of how ineffective they are on their own, they can redirect people to educational resources and tangible action.
Show threadVolineFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521
Many early anti-Vietnam war activists cited the self-immolation of Buddhist priests in protest of the war for getting their attention and shaming them into action.
Show threadHat. AuDHD cat 😷🌺🍉🌻🔻Feb 26, 2024

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar Solidarity requires integrity and courage.

You seem to understand neither.

Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
What makes you say that?
Show threadHat. AuDHD cat 😷🌺🍉🌻🔻Feb 26, 2024

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar nihilism isn't something to be proud of.

And if your reaction to self immolation is to feel threatened enough that you want to make it meaningless, you're obviously not capable of understanding what MAKES something meaningful

Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024

How would I feel threatened when 1. I’m not Israeli nor am I affiliated with the Israeli government or any of its international backers, so I’m clearly not the target and 2. I am a supporter of Palestine who is increasingly slipping into despair?

I may be proud of the first fact: that I’m not engaged in this genocide myself, but I am certainly not proud of slipping into despair. I’ve simply been expressing it and all I get in response is hostility for seemingly no reason. I would have thought that there would be more understanding and caring given that it’s not exactly uncommon in the face of such horrific things for hopelessness to set in. I basically put out what amounts to a cry for help and I get told to “shut the fuck up” and that I’m somehow an imbecile who doesn’t understand. Well, I’m sorry but this is simply how I feel. Is it necessarily good to feel this way? Most certainly not! I’m just acknowledging and expressing that.

Show threadHat. AuDHD cat 😷🌺🍉🌻🔻Feb 26, 2024

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar i apologize for jumping to conclusions.

My answer to despair is that you're buying into the idea that nothing can be done.
It isn't true.

At the VERY least you can give doom the finger.

Aaron Bushnell decided to make a statement that plausibly will have an impact.
One that is resonating with a LOT of people.

It CAN plausibly work simply because he was exactly the kind of "normal" white cis guy that society sees as credible

Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
i guess I’m fucked then cuz I’m neither white nor cis nor a guy. There’s even less hope for anything I do to be impactful because nobody would willingly listen to me.
Show threadHat. AuDHD cat 😷🌺🍉🌻🔻Feb 26, 2024

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar i wasn't suggesting you emulate him.

The point is that moat Americans want the genocide to end.
And his sacrifice has the potential to become a rallying cry.

Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
A rallying cry for what? More of the same bullshit rallies with chanting and peace police and assholes with megaphones ordering us around? I’m sick of that shite
Show threadHat. AuDHD cat 😷🌺🍉🌻🔻Feb 26, 2024

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar among other things convincing liberals to stop being ostriches.
Like i said, genocide is EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR.

MEANWHILE.
Being relentlessly negative because you're feeling sorry for yourself, doesn't help.

And it comes across as a self absorbed pose.

I am not trying to chew you out for being depressed but i also am not feeling like humoring people who react to self immolation by trying to diminish it.

Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
You may not be trying to chew me out for being depressed but that’s exactly what you’re doing.
Show threadtrenchwormsFeb 26, 2024
@Coherence7521 @alissaazar how many consulates have *you* lit on fire so far?
Show thread(in)coherenceFeb 26, 2024
Ok, you got me. I haven’t done it myself. All I’ve been doing is going to tons of pro-Palestine rallies and being increasingly exhausted with the futility of it all and the fact that known abusers are allowed to show up and even speak at them, at least where I live.
Show threadAlexFeb 26, 2024

@alissaazar

I hope his suffering was not long. May his soul find rest. May his sacrifice bring change.