On Saturday, a photojournalist self-immolated outside the White House to protest Israel's war in Gaza and America's support for the regime.
The man, Samuel Mena Jr., was seen setting his left arm on fire, screaming in pain and yelling that the media was spreading “misinformation.” Law enforcement officers quickly surrounded and restrained Mena and extinguished the fire.
After the flames were extinguished, a bystander was seen pouring a bottle of water into Mena's arm.
A blog posted on Mena's website shortly before the incident suggested that he only suffered burns to his arm.
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“I dedicate my left arm to the 10,000 children in Gaza who have lost limbs in this conflict. May my voice lift yours and your smile never fade,” Mena said. I will pray,” he wrote.
The blog also said that Mena first tried to end the “genocide” in Gaza by making a documentary. However, he later became convinced that it would not make a difference and gave up on the effort.
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On October 5, 2024, police rescue a man who self-immolated during a demonstration to commemorate the first anniversary of the war between Hamas and Israel in front of the White House in Washington, DC.
Mena's social media profile says she works at the local CBS affiliate AZFamily and graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
Authorities took Mena to the hospital immediately after the incident, where his injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening.
“The District of Columbia has a long and proud history of peaceful First Amendment activism, and the Metropolitan Police Department handles hundreds of protests, demonstrations, and other events each year,” first responders said. said in a statement.
Israel remains in serious conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. (Stringer/Stringer/dpa via Getty Images)
“We will continue to support those who choose to protest peacefully and safely, and we will continue to hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in our city,” it added.
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The incident comes months after a U.S. Air Force member self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in February. Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, also carried out the act in protest of Israel's operations in Gaza, saying in a recorded video that he would “no longer participate in genocide.”
