On Sunday, Feb. 25, an active-duty U.S. Air Force member from Massachusetts named Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. Aaron’s last words before succumbing to his injuries were “Free Palestine.”
This form of extreme protest was a call to action, as well as a warning call to U.S. leadership that this country will not stand by watching a genocide unfold overseas. Israel has killed over 30,000 Palestinians and squeezed over 1 million people into Rafah, the “last safe zone” within Palestine. Many of these people are women, elderly and children. Several organizations have warned of disease and famine for those seeking refuge in Rafah.
Bushnell understood that a world that allows for atrocities like genocide to take place with no real accountability sometimes requires extreme action to call attention. Bushnell is another martyr to the movement to liberate Palestine. While our politicians sit idly by and refuse to listen to their constituents’ calls for a permanent cease-fire, we will not stop fighting for what is right.
Sophie Garner
Portland
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