A man attempted to set himself on fire outside of the White House on Saturday evening during a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington, D.C.
Video footage posted to X by Washington Free Beacon reporter Jessica Costescu showed a man attempting to “self immolate in front of the White House.”
As the man is seen standing surrounded by police officers, he can be heard saying things like, “We spread the misinformation,” and claiming that he is a “journalist.”
One of the man’s arms appeared to be burned, and a person can be seen pouring water over his arm in the video.
Other photos posted to X appeared to show the man on fire, and police officers walking away with the man after the fire had reportedly been put out.
The man reportedly set himself on fire around 6:00 p.m. during a pro-Palestinian protest, according to the Washington Post.
As police officers “rushed toward the man,” two people attempted to “extinguish the flame” with a shirt and a kaffiyeh, according to the outlet.
Other protesters reportedly attempted to use their kaffiyehs to help put out the fire. The outlet noted that after the flames had been extinguished, the man claimed that “he was a journalist spreading misinformation.”
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.”
“Members of the Metropolitan Police Department and members of the public immediately put out the fire,” Smith said in the statement. “DC Fire and EMS responded and transported the man to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.”
