Man sets himself on fire in front of Israeli Consulate in Boston

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan and Islam Dogru

NEW YORK (AA) – An American activist set himself on fire last week in front of the Israeli Consulate in Boston, Massachusetts to protest Israel’s “genocide in Gaza.”

In a statement released to Anadolu, the Boston Police Department said the incident occurred on Sept. 11 around 8.10 p.m. local time.

The man was seriously injured and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, the statement said.

Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) also reported that the self-immolator suffered serious burns.

Police did not share details about the person’s identity or his motive for the action as an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in New York announced that they are investigating the incident.

Local media reported that the incident took place in front of the Four Seasons Hotel on the same street as the Israeli Consulate in Boston and released surveillance footage showing the man setting himself on fire after walking in front of the hotel for a while.

People close to the scene are seen rushing to extinguish the fire.

An eyewitness told NBC10 Boston that he and a friend rushed to the location after hearing screams and tried to put out the fire with backpacks, describing the situation as “a deeply upsetting scene.”

One of the witnesses, Jeferson Zapata, told Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra news that the man had poured gasoline on himself before setting himself on fire.

Zapata said he and others tried to pour water on the burning man.

The lack of statements by US officials and the lack of coverage of the issue in the national media have drawn criticism.

While the authorities have not shared information about the person’s identity on the grounds that the investigation is ongoing, social media users believe there is an attempt to cover up the incident.

In a video posted on social media and apparently shared from Boston, a person identifying himself as Matt Nelson said: “I’m Matt Nelson, and I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest. We are all culpable in the ongoing (Israeli) genocide in Gaza.”

“We call ourselves the greatest nation in history, yet we spend more on weapons of war than we do on educating our children, helping the homeless, ensuring all Americans have equal rights, and protecting the environment combined. We are slaves to capitalism and a military industrial complex. Most of us are too apathetic to care.

“The protest I'm about to engage in is a call to our government to stop supplying Israel with the money and weapons it uses to imprison and murder innocent Palestinians, to pressure Israel to end the genocide in Gaza and to support the ICC (International Criminal Court) indictment of (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government.

"I urge any of you who are of the same mind to call your senators and representatives and demand that they introduce and advance legislation to achieve these goals. If sitting lawmakers won’t, vote for those who will.

"A democracy is supposed to serve the will of the people, not the interests of the wealthy. Take the power back. Free Palestine,” he added.

Later, some local media outlets shared surveillance footage of a man setting himself on fire but did not provide any information about the identity of the person or why he committed the act.

Despite Anadolu’s persistent inquiries, the Boston Police Department said the investigation was ongoing and that they would not share any further information for the time being.

The Israel-based Jerusalem Post newspaper drew attention to the fact that the incident occurred on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

In February, 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. in protest against Israel's attacks on Gaza.