It was a weekend of multiple major protests across the U.S. demonstrators were demanding an immediate ceasefire as the war in Gaza approached its first anniversary. The protests were held in cities like Washington, Los Angeles, and New York as part of a global day of action condemning this spiraling violence. During the protest in Washington D.C, a protestor identified as Samuel Mena Jr. attempted to set himself on fire on the lawn outside the White House while protesting the war.
The attempt was stopped by people in the street, including some who smothered the flames on him. He was taken and treated for his injuries. His injuries were reported not to be life-threatening. Mena, according to reports in the media, shouted that he was a journalist fed up with misinformation about the war.
Thousands rallied in Washington’s streets, with many voicing anger as a form of protest to American military aid to Israel. Similar protests unfolded in New York’s Times Square, where rights activist and U.S. presidential candidate Cornel West called events in Gaza “genocide.” Protesters nationwide demand a stop to American financial aid for Israeli military interventions, known to have caused heavy civilian casualties in Gaza and Lebanon.
Protests over US involvement in the conflict spilled over from simply debating the morality of military assistance, but most were in sympathy with Palestinians.