On Saturday evening, a shocking incident took place outside the White House during a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington, D.C. A man attempted to set himself on fire in front of the iconic building, drawing attention from the gathered crowd and police officers on the scene.
Video footage captured by Washington Free Beacon reporter Jessica Costescu showed the man surrounded by police as he tried to “self-immolate.” During this tense moment, the man could be heard saying things like, “We spread the misinformation,” while also identifying himself as a “journalist.” It was clear that one of the man’s arms had been burned, with a person pouring water over the affected area in the video.
Additional photos posted online appeared to show the man engulfed in flames before police officers managed to extinguish the fire. The outlet noted that after the flames had been put out, the man claimed he was “a journalist spreading misinformation.
The man reportedly set himself on fire around 6:00 p.m., during the pro-Palestinian protest outside the White House. According to the Washington Post, police officers hurried towards the man as two people attempted to extinguish the flames with a shirt and a kaffiyeh. Other protesters reportedly used their kaffiyehs to help put out the fire.
Pamela A. Smith, the police chief for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., issued a statement confirming that “an adult male participating in a demonstration” had “attempted to light himself on fire.” She went on to say that “members of the Metropolitan Police Department and members of the public immediately put out the fire,” with DC Fire and EMS responding and transporting the man to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.