I mean, that’s kinda obvious ain’t it?

Some are trying to paint him as suicidal rather than this being the act of protest that it is.

Can it be both?

It’s definitely both. Lighting yourself on fire to make a point is a terrible idea. If your goal is to bring about change, killing yourself actively works against that.

Self-immolation is a powerful form of protest. He sacrificed his life to draw attention and send a message.

Suicide as protest is the same act as silencing yourself. That’s not protest. It’s submission.

Well, we are talking about him now, and millions of people have hears his message in his own words. Or he could still be alive in a sea of picketers being ignored. I don’t approve of suicide either, bit he very effectively got a lot of people to listen to him, or at least to hear him. We all should be so silent.