San Antonio DSA (SA-DSA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Contact: SJ W., SADSA Co-Chair, sanantoniodsa@gmail.com
AARON BUSHNELL, DEDICATED AND BELOVED COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, SELF-IMMOLATES WHILE DEMANDING AN END TO PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE
SAN ANTONIO, TX—On Sunday, February 25, 2024, Aaron Bushnell self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. Aaron was a cherished member of the community, a committed activist, and an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force. He provided aid and resources to people experiencing homelessness through San Antonio Collective Care, in which he worked closely with members of our mutual aid group.
Aaron’s self-immolation was an act of protest against the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. Over the last 142 days, over 30,000 Palestinians have been murdered, including at least 12,000 children, by the Israeli government with the support of the United States. The majority of hospitals and at least half of all the buildings in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. At least 1.9 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza—nearly 85% of the population—and now over 500,000 people are on the brink of starvation. Currently, the Israeli military is planning a ground invasion of Rafah, where over 1.5 million people are refugees, and will continue to murder and displace Palestinians with nowhere else to go.
In a self-recorded video of the protest, Aaron stated, “My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m 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.” Aaron’s last words were “Free Palestine”.
Our chapter stands in solidarity with Aaron and the over 30,000 Palestinian people that have been murdered since October 7, 2023. Aaron’s sacrifice was borne out of a deep love of humanity, and reaffirms our unyielding determination to fight for a free Palestine. Aaron’s act of self-immolation is a clearly political one, with care taken to ensure it was filmed and widely shared. In order to honor Aaron’s intention for mass action, we need each other's ongoing strength, compassion, and solidarity to build the international movement required to stop this atrocious violence.
We mourn Aaron’s death. We will honor his legacy by continuing to fight for a permanent and immediate ceasefire and a free Palestine.
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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States. San Antonio DSA (SADSA) is a local chapter of DSA that operates in San Antonio and the surrounding area. We build and support working-class movements for radical social change, while establishing an openly socialist and anti-capitalist presence in San Antonio through a variety of tactics, from labor organizing to mutual aid to electoralism.
