A man was taken to the hospital with severe burn injuries after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Boston.
In a video uploaded to YouTube before the incident, Matt Nelson stated that he was planning an “extreme act of protest” against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
At the time of the incident on Wednesday evening, Nelson’s identity and motive were not immediately clear. The video surfaced on Friday.
This incident marks at least the third case of self-immolation in the United States outside an Israeli consulate or embassy in protest of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
In late February, a U.S. airman named Aaron Bushnell, wearing his military uniform, died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. Bushnell had shared his views on the war in a video on the streaming platform Twitch, stating that he no longer wanted to be complicit in genocide.
Bushnell’s death followed a similar incident three months earlier, where an unidentified protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, sustaining critical injuries.
Security camera footage from Boston captured Nelson pacing outside a hotel near the consulate before dousing himself in gasoline and igniting the fire, as reported by local station NBC10. Witnesses rushed to help extinguish the flames.
With severe burn wounds, Nelson was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital by ambulance. The Boston Police Department confirmed that it is an active investigation.
Both the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts and the Israeli consulate in Boston have not responded to requests for comment.
In his video, Nelson expressed his desire to halt U.S. arms sales to Israel and support a potential International Criminal Court case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He urged viewers to contact their senators and representatives to demand action towards these goals and emphasized the importance of democracy serving the will of the people. Nelson concluded by advocating for a free Palestine.
Following his identification, Nelson received support from some corners, with social media posts amplifying his message and praising his actions.
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