image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
A demonstrator carrying a banner with a picture of American pilot Aaron Bushnell in the British city of Glasgow – March 2, 2024
- Author, Kayla Epstein and Angelica Casas
- Role, BBC News
On Sunday morning, 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell calmly walked into the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., and set himself on fire.
Bushnell, wearing a US Air Force uniform, said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide” in Gaza, and shouted: “Freedom for Palestine” as he burned until he knelt on the ground. Hours later, he died in hospital from serious burns.
Bushnell broadcast his self-immolation live, ensuring that what he described as an “extremist act of protest” could be seen outside Washington.
Although the initial video Bushnell posted was removed, the footage went viral on social media.
Bushnell’s “suicide” led to the organization of vigils in American cities this week by protesters against the Israeli military operations in Gaza, where the death toll exceeded 30,000 people this week due to the raids and the ongoing Israeli operation, according to the Ministry of Health in the Strip.
While others expressed concern about the “extremist” nature of Bushnell’s protest, which raised fears it could inspire other deadly acts.
But for Bushnell’s friends, his death was much closer to them, and the move he took surprised even those closest to him, as they found themselves caught between the weight of grief over the loss of a friend and dealing with what he had done, amid sudden intense interest from the international media.
Those who knew him in San Antonio, Texas — where Bushnell lived from 2020 until late last year while stationed at Lackland Air Force Base — said his death spread through activists like a “shock wave.”
Before a public vigil held at San Antonio Park, Mason Escamilla, who knew Bushnell, told the BBC on Friday: “At first, there was a lot of shock and sadness, because he felt like this was the only action that could be done to draw attention to something.” He cares deeply about him.”
The 25-year-old Escamilla added, “These measures are difficult to choose, and difficult to understand, even by people who sympathize with the ceasefire and the safety of the Palestinian people and civilians.”
At least 200 people attended the vigil, including many Palestinians, and one by one of Bushnell’s friends, they took the microphone to remember him sadly.
Before Sunday, Escamilla said he knew Bushnell as a “normal, quiet, friendly, eccentric guy” who espoused left-wing politics and volunteered with groups that help people experiencing homelessness. He added that the pilot had a cat named “Sugar.” He got drunk, and he loved the movie “The Lord of the Rings.”
He also met Moon, a friend of Bushnell’s who asked to be identified by his first name only, during volunteer work and described him as “incredibly strong-willed” and said the video of his final moments was “extremely difficult to watch.”
Sarah Masoud, a 32-year-old Palestinian activist who attended the vigil, said learning about his death “was truly devastating.”
She said the “horrific act” had sparked debate among activists who felt “a sense of responsibility for the absurdity of what he did.”
Bushnell had described himself as an anarchist, and once wrote that he “believed in the abolition of all hierarchical power structures” through legal means. While in San Antonio with the Air Force, he was also active in a number of communities, especially mutual aid groups, and was particularly drawn toward helping the homeless, his friends said.
Escamilla remembers that on volunteer trips, where he handed out supplies like first aid and clothing, Bushnell was “a little shy,” but he said he quickly learned how to get along closely with the people he helped.
Escamilla believes Bushnell felt stressed by his military service and political beliefs.
He was in the army when the war broke out between Israel and Gaza in October last year, when about 1,200 people were killed after Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli Gaza flank towns, taking about 250 hostage in the Gaza Strip, many of whom are still alive. They are detained there, according to Israeli statements.
About 1.8 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since Israel launched retaliatory military operations that it says are aimed at destroying Hamas.
image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Vigil for Aaron Bushnell outside the military recruiting building in Times Square, New York, USA – February 27, 2024
An extraordinary journey
Aaron Bushnell grew up in Orleans, Massachusetts, in a tightly segregated religious community known as the Society of Jesus, according to his friends.
A childhood friend, Ashley Shuman, told the New York Times that he informed the group that he had left the community in 2019, while Escamilla said that Bushnell was no longer involved with the Society of Jesus and had distanced himself from his family.
Some former members of the Society of Jesus alleged psychological abuse in a 2021 investigation by ABC News.
Bushnell’s parents and the Society of Jesus declined to comment to the BBC.
In his youth, Bushnell belonged to a performance troupe called Spirit Winter Percussion, and a group photo from six years ago on his Facebook page shows the young troupe members wearing colorful uniforms and wearing big smiles.
image source, FRIENDS OF AARON BUSHNELL
Aaron Bushnell and his cat Sugar, in an undated photo sent to the BBC by his friends
Brian Spencer, who was in the band performing with Bushnell, told the BBC: “At the time he didn’t talk much about sports, music and so on,” but he was a good guy and always helped when needed.
Bushnell entered active duty in the Army on May 5, 2020, according to the Air Force, and his last role was in cyber defense operations.
Friends say he left San Antonio late last year and was living in Ohio before his death. Bushnell wrote on his LinkedIn page that he was looking for opportunities in the US Army’s Skill Bridge program, which allows military personnel to transition to civilian jobs after… End of their service.
Otherwise, he died while he was a member of the Air Force.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell,” US Air Force Colonel Selina Noyes said in a statement.
At Friday’s vigil, there was a focus on remembering the pilot as his friends knew him and the causes he believed in, not how the world knew his name.
Before she began her speech Friday, a Bushnell volunteer told the demonstration participants: “You’re going to hear a lot of sad things, but you’re also going to hear a lot of really good things.”
She added: “Because this last moment was not the sum of his life.”
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