US airman who self-immolated at Israeli Embassy commemorated in London

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A vigil was held on Thursday in the British capital to commemorate Palestinians killed in Gaza and the US airman who died after setting himself ablaze in protest of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

A large number of protesters gathered at the landmark Trafalgar Square as part of a candlelight vigil to commemorate Palestinian civilians who have been killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

The demonstration also "honors" Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC last week in protest against Israel's ongoing attacks.

Waving Palestinian flags, the crowd chanted pro-Palestinian slogans to demand a "cease-fire now," "Stop arming Israel," and "End the occupation."

Protesters lit their candles at the demonstration, jointly organized by some Palestine solidarity groups, including the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Media Workers for Palestine, and Health Workers 4 Palestine.

Speaking to Anadolu, Paul, a 70-year-old protester, said that he attended the protest in solidarity with Palestinians, adding that Bushnell "so bravely gave his life."

"I was so moved when I saw what he did. I thought what a wonderful person, what a kind man, and what a credible gesture," said Paul, defining his act as "ultimate sacrifice."

Touching on Israeli attacks and policies, he noted that governments do not condemn Israel for "anything they are doing."

"They are saying, 'They have to defend themselves, defend themselves, defend themselves.' Yeah, with bombs, and killing little children, blowing them up," added Paul.

He also criticized British and American support of the Israeli army.

- 'He did not want to be complicit'

Another protester, Rebecca, told Anadolu that he came to state honor Aaron and "his sacrifice for a free Palestine."

Defining Bushnell's self-immolation as "a personal protest," she said because he wanted a free Palestine and he was distressed at the "complicity of the American government."

"He was in the American army. So, he did not want to be complicit or involved in any way," said Rebecca, adding, "He probably knew a lot more than we did."

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing more than 30,000 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas-led attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.