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On Saturday, a man who identified himself as a journalist self-immolated outside the White House in an apparent attempt to protest Israel’s war in Gaza.
The man, identified as Samuel Mena Jr., was captured on video firing a bolt of lightning into his left arm, raising his arm in the air and screaming in pain before bystanders and police rushed to his aid. It was getting worse. Bystanders poured water on him and used towels to extinguish the flames.
Officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department subdued a man who shouted, “I’m a journalist.”
Police Chief Pamela Smith said Mena was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“The District of Columbia has a long and proud history of peaceful First Amendment activism, and the Metropolitan Police Department handles hundreds of protests, demonstrations, and other events each year,” she wrote.
“We continue to support those who choose to protest peacefully and safely, and we will continue to hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in the city,” the statement said.
Samuel Mena Jr. (EPA) attempts to self-immolate during a pro-Palestinian rally in Lafayette Park near the White House in Washington, DC, on October 5.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in major cities around the world on Saturday to demand against Israel in Gaza and in hopes of averting an escalating Middle East war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead. He called for an end to military operations in Lebanon. Hamas attacks in Israel last year.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched across London, and thousands gathered in Time Square in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town and New York City.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli operations in Gaza have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and displaced more than 2 million people, sparking a hunger crisis and allegations of genocide in The Hague. However, Israel vehemently denies this.
Samuel Mena Jr. (EPA) attempts to self-immolate during a pro-Palestinian rally in Lafayette Park near the White House in Washington, DC, on October 5.
In February, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old Air Force member in uniform, self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC. Bushnell said at the time that he was protesting “what people are experiencing in Palestine at the hands of the colonial masters.”
He then said, “I will no longer take part in genocide,” and set himself on fire while shouting, “Liberate Palestine.” He died from his injuries.
Mena’s protest took place just days before the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, which preceded Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Federal law enforcement agencies issued a warning this week that the upcoming anniversary “could serve as an incentive for violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators to commit acts of violence that threaten public safety.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in support of Gaza and Lebanon in Times Square on October 5 (Getty Images)
On Saturday, Mena wrote on his X profile that he planned to attend a pro-Palestinian rally.
“I will be broadcasting live from outside the White House on Instagram Live in 30 minutes. The first 30 minutes will be spent technical troubleshooting and I will be giving a speech an hour from now,” he wrote.
Hours earlier, he sent out a tweet saying, “Let’s end settler colonialism.”
The post includes a photo of Mena standing in front of a Palestinian flag with the phrase “From the River to the Sea” written above her head. Supporters of Israel say the phrase is anti-Semitic, while supporters of Palestine say the slogan refers to the reclamation of land lost by Palestinians to Israel and the freedom of Palestinians to live in peace. states.
In his profile, Mena states that he graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is currently “employed as a photojournalist for AZFamily Channels 3 and 5.”
