(Image via nytimes.com)
Staff Writer: Denise Badilla
Email: dbadilla@umassd.edu
“I am 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. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
This was the sentiment echoed by 25-year-old US Airman Aaron Bushnell before he lit himself on fire at the gates of Washington D.C’s Israeli embassy on February 25.
His self-immolation occurred approximately 141 days into the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict that left upwards of 30,000 Palestinians dead and the rest displaced from their homes.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has dropped more than 45,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip as an alleged retaliation to Hamas militants, which has resulted in catastrophic ruin far beyond repair.
Palestinian refugees have now been pushed back to the southernmost city of Rafah, with no end in sight to Israel’s relentless bombing.
Aaron Bushnell’s act of protest was captured by himself on a Twitch lifestream. On stream, he condemned the US government for its active participation in aiding Israel’s war efforts.
While walking up to the embassy wearing his full combat fatigues and carrying a bottle of flammable liquid, he said, “I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
Before lighting himself on fire, he said, ‘Free Palestine.’ Bushnell was rushed to the hospital but died two days later after succumbing to his critical injuries.
According to testimonies from friends, Bushnell grew up in a conservative household. He was raised in a religious community in Orleans, Massachusetts, which he left in 2019 to start his career with the US Air Force.
A friend of his from the San Antonio Air Force Base stated that Bushnell started to develop beliefs diverging from his conservative upbringing following the murder of George Floyd.
“He said that he kind of went from one extreme — the conservative beliefs that he had grown up around — to the opposite, forming his anarchist, anti-imperialist values.” his friend stated in an interview with the New York Times.
Further analysis of Bushnell’s social media pages shows his gradual condemnation of the very military he serves and indications of deeply regretting his decision to enlist.
“I have been complicit in the violent domination of the world, and I will never get the blood off my hands.” was his response to a veteran’s thread on Reddit.
Vigils were held across the country in Bushnell’s honor, depicting his actions as heroic and brave. Veterans in Portland, Oregon, even burned their military uniforms to show solidarity with the fallen airman.
News of his sacrifice has also reached the people of Gaza. Bisan Owda, one of the prominent Palestinian journalists documenting the horrors of the last few months, posted a picture of herself holding up a picture of Aaron Bushnell, commending his bravery.
“We love you, and we thank you for standing on the right side of history. You are right, FREE PALESTINE,” Bisan captions the photo.
Aaron Bushnell left behind a will wherein he apologized to his loved ones for his decisions and left instructions for his final resting place.
“If a time comes when Palestinians regain control of their land, and if the people native to the land would be open to the possibility, I would love for my ashes to be scattered in a free Palestine.”
Despite the gruesome and tragic circumstances of his death, we as witnesses must not lose sight of what it was for; whether or not it was explicitly said, Bushnell’s death was a sacrifice intended to propel forward the discourse of the US government’s involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and whether their decisions remain representative of what their citizens believe in.
We must ask ourselves this question: How did a man like Aaron Bushnell grow so vehemently opposed to his government’s actions to the extent that he felt like burning himself alive in protest was necessary to be heard?