From Aaron’s will:
I am sorry to my brother and my friends for leaving you like this. Of course, if I was truly sorry, I wouldn’t be doing it. But the machine demands blood. None of this is fair.
I wish for my remains to be cremated. I do not wish for my ashes to be scattered or my remains to be buried as my body does not belong anywhere in this world. 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.
Memories of Aaron Bushnell
As Recounted by His Friends
2024-02-29
On February 25, Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire at the gate of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC as an act of protest against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Hostile critics have attempted to shrug off Aaron’s action as the consequence of mental illness. On the contrary, Aaron’s choice was a political action arising from his deeply held anarchist convictions. In the following collection, we share Aaron’s own summary of his politics, followed by testimony from three of Aaron’s close friends.
As Aaron recounted to his comrades in a mutual aid group in San Antonio, he grew up in a very Christian conservative white enclave in Cape Cod. He was 18 years old when Donald Trump was elected; he joined the Air Force in 2019. …
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“He was extremely clear this was an act of protest.”
“He wanted people to act.”
“Self immolation is an extreme act, and is an extreme choice. Media is very allergic to engaging effectively with the extremes.”
Yet media eagerly mass reports extreme lies, propaganda and support for Netanyahu and Slaughterhouse Zionism (e.g. The New York Times, CBC News, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, etc.).
“I think the fact that we’ve had two instances of self-immolation is indicative of how desperate people are getting. … People are honouring him, mourning him. They’re mourning the loss of someone who was so dedicated to his values.”
‘An extreme act’: Why Aaron Bushnell self-immolated for Gaza 16.47 Min. by The Take, Feb 28, 2024, Al Jazeera English
Aaron Bushnell, a member of the US air force, set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, in an act of political protest over Israel’s war in Gaza. Bushnell livestreamed his death, saying he no longer wanted to be complicit in genocide. How will his message resonate?
In this episode:
- Talia Jane, Independent Journalist
- Lupe Barboza, Friend of Aaron Bushnell
- Archana Kaku, Assistant Professor, The College of William & Mary
Refer also to:
2024 02 28: 7 October narrative debunked by new report
… The report comes as further doubt is cast on the sensational New York Times story alleging that rape was used by Palestinian fighters as a weapon of war on 7 October. Questions centre around Anat Schwartz, an Israeli filmmaker who, it is reported, had no prior experience in journalism. Schwartz co-authored several questionable reports for the NYT about sexual violence.
Researchers found that Schwartz had earlier expressed inflammatory views on social media. Screenshots show her “liking” posts spreading the false “40 beheaded babies” rumour and calling for the slaughter of Palestinians as “human animals”. One of her co-authors is said to be her nephew Adam Sella.
Hiring someone with such extreme, publicly stated biases to report on a highly contentious topic violates standard journalistic guidelines on objectivity. The NYT failed to assign experienced journalists to such a sensitive story.
Further doubts emerged about the positive portrayal of Zaka, an Israeli volunteer group that recovers dead bodies and body parts for burial. A later Haaretz investigation accused Zaka personnel of negligence and spreading misinformation in their testimonies about 7 October.
The New York Times’ biases and lack of impartiality in its coverage of events on 7 October have undermined trust in its reporting. Last month, it pulled a high-profile episode of its podcast “The Daily” about sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October amid a furious internal debate about the strength of the paper’s original reporting on the subject. …
… “The Israeli narrative, he adds, “has consistently demonstrated a penchant for blatant falsehoods…”
…
For decades, I have not believed what Netanyahu says (he’s liar extraordinaire, like Rosalie Abella), and boycotted Israeli products; I’ve spoken out publicly against Netanyahu and his vile gov’ts and Zionism’s genocide of Palestinians and stealing their lands, homes, farms and oil and gas (that must be frac’d), financed and enabled by USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, ….
