Syracuse professor says US airman  Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire outside DC Israeli embassy in pro-Palestine protest ‘showed more courage than politicians’

A Syracuse University professor has praised Air Force engineer Aaron Bushnell for fatally setting himself on fire in a pro-Palestine protest outside the Israeli embassy in DC. 

‘RIP Aaron Bushnell, who self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy as political protest against genocide. Don’t believe the spin doctoring otherwise. He showed more moral clarity and courage than politicians & genocidaires,’ said Professor Farhana Sultana, who works at the prestigious Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

‘They till try to spin doctor it as mental health issues, but he was rational & clear about his political reasoning, which resonates with majority of the world. May his sacrifice not be in vain. Indeed. it was legitimate moral outrage and courage against the holocaust & barbarity in Palestine with US full participation. May his sacrifice not be in vain, may his last words on this earth ring true #FreePalestine.’

Bushnell, 25, succumbed to his injuries overnight after lighting himself on fire as he screamed ‘Free Palestine’ on Sunday in a protest he livestreamed on Twitch. The fire burned for more than a minute before police and security staff managed to extinguish it.

Many figures on the far-left, including Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and controversial Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King have also voiced their respect for Bushnell. 

Aaron Bushnell, 25, succumbed to his injuries overnight after lighting himself on fire as he screamed ‘Free Palestine’ on Sunday in a protest he livestreamed on Twitch

Aaron Bushnell, is seen with his father Dave (far left), his mom Danielle and his younger brother Sean (far right)

A member of the Cape Cod community wrote on X: ‘Aaron was a sweet boy. He came out of the Community of Jesus on Cape Cod, which many regard as a cult’

King wrote:  I want to honor a young man that was so disturbed by the genocide of Palestinians that he set himself on fire yesterday at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC. Instead of harming someone else, he made a choice that of course seems strange and disturbing to all of us, but I empathize with him.’

Stein, on her part, said:  ‘Rest in power Aaron Bushnell. May his sacrifice deepen our commitment to stop genocide now.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Syracuse for comment on this story. 

Bushnell’s parents Dave and Danielle Bushnell are longtime members of the Community for Jesus church in Orleans, Massachusetts, which has been accused in the past of functioning as a cult that abuses and controls its followers.

Despite Bushnell’s fatal protest, the church loudly supported Israel on its social media, reposting messages that strongly defend Israel’s operation in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 terrorists’ attacks.

‘Only Hamas is deliberately targeting civilians. Hamas seeks to force the Israeli military to violate the rules of war; Israel accepts that there are no rules that Hamas gunman would ever follow,’ reads one of the messages reposted by the Community of Jesus.

‘The odd result is that a sick world is more accepting of deliberate mass murdering by Hamas than occasional accidental collateral damage by Israel.’

Danielle works as the Purchaser and Contracts Administrator for the literary arm of the church, Paraclete Press. Meanwhile David’s Facebook lists his association with the church, as well as to offset groups including the Church of the Transfiguration. 

The Community for Jesus church in Orleans, Massachusetts has been accused in the past of functioning as a cult that abuses and controls its followers

The Community of Jesus appears to have disconnected its phone on Monday morning after DailyMail.com tried to contact them. 

A member of the Cape Cod community wrote on X: ‘Aaron was a sweet boy. He came out of the Community of Jesus on Cape Cod, which many regard as a cult. It was my impression that he joined the military as a way of detaching himself from the Community, though I never explicitly discussed it with him. 

‘I could just tell he was under stress at the time. This is incredibly sad and a total waste.’

According to Dave Bushnell’s social media, Aaron and his younger brother Sean grew up playing instruments in the church and were often pictured in its community events as a child. 

Dave wrote in 2017: ‘My boys, Aaron and Sean are members of the percussion ensemble Spirit Winter Percussion, part of the Arts Empowering Life umbrella of arts organizations.

‘Words can not express how grateful Danielle and I are for this group and how much it has meant (and continues to mean) in our boys’ lives. Thank you to everyone who gives their all to make this group so very special! Join with us to make the impossible a reality!

The Community of Jesus church shared posts in support of Israel on social media

‘How do you teach kids to dream big and be everything they were created to be? Go for the gold!! Hire the best teachers and staff! Aim at perfection and settle for nothing less than your best! Welcome to Spirit WP!

Founded in 1958 by ‘Mother Cay’ and ‘Mother Judy,’ the group used to live communal lives in complete celibacy, but it has reportedly become less extreme in recent years, and now allows members to live off-site.

However, in 2020 a Canadian judge ruled in favor of students of a school that was affiliated with the church, saying it ‘created an abusive, authoritarian and rigid culture.’

One of Bushnell’s friends said he was ‘the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force,’ according to leftist activist Talia Jane. 

‘He’s always trying to think about how we can achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face,’ the friend, who went by Errico, reportedly added. ‘ He is a capital- A anarchist. 

Jane said Bushnell is survived by his ‘comrades across the country, including a tight-knit community in San Antonio.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Dave Bushnell for comment on this story. 

Horrific video of the incident showed Bushnell explaining the reasons for his ‘extreme act of protest’ while he walked up to the building and screamed ‘Free Palestine- as his body went up in flames.

Aaron’s dad wrote of the church: ‘Words can not express how grateful Danielle and I are for this group and how much it has meant (and continues to mean) in our boys’ lives’

‘My name is Aaron Bushnell,’ he told the camera, ‘I am an active duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.

‘I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.

‘This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.’

For more than 30 seconds he walked on silently, passing the neighboring Chinese embassy and holding an open flask of liquid in his left hand.

As he reached the embassy, he placed the camera on the ground and marched to the gate, showering himself in the fluid before placing his service cap on his head

The active-duty airman was a DevOps engineer based in San Antonio, Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile. He touted himself having ‘very good communication skills’ and ‘thriving in team environments’.

Bushnell was pursuing his bachelor’s degree in computer software engineering and is CompTIA Security+ certified, a credential that indicates he has the baseline skills to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career.

He had apparent links to at least two anarchist groups, Burning River Anarchist Collective and Mutual Aid Street Solidarity – both of which are based in Ohio. Bushnell followed the groups on Facebook.