Washington

Netizens are reacting with outrage at the footage of a security officer pulling out a gun at United States airman who immolated himself in front of Israel embassy in the country. Aaron Bushnell, the US airman set himself on fire to protest against Israeli actions in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Social media posts have been critical of the embassy guard, possibly a US police officer who trained his gun at Bushnell all the while he burned. Netizens said that the security person should have helped the airman.

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Bushnell died after his self-immolation.

Before his death, he posted a video and spoke about why he planned to do what he eventually did.

"My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide," he said. “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 colonisers, it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal," he wrote.

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Bushnell livestreamed the horrific incident on Twitch. The video was later taken down from the platform. It has been reported that he walked towards the Israeli embassy, poured inflammable liquid on himself and set himself on fire. He shouted "free Palestine" repeatedly.

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Social media users reacted strongly against the securityperson who kept his gun trained at Bushnell.

“This guy pointing a gun at someone engulfed in flames is a metaphor for the innocent and vulnerable Palestinians dying in Gaza,” commented a user.

“I wondered how could someone hold a gun instead of getting a fire extinguisher or doing something to help,” said another.

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“This is so sad and painful to see a young man having to go to this extreme to make an obvious humanitarian point. And disgusting and disturbing to see a coward pointing his gun at a dying man instead of helping him,” said a comment.

“The notion of holding a gun to a person engulfed in flames evokes a profound sense of disgust. Such an image symbolizes an extreme disconnect from humanity's innate compassion, suggesting a scenario where protocols or fear override basic human empathy.” another user expressed in their comment.

(With inputs from agencies)