A person was seriously injured Friday when he tried to set himself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, southeastern United States, after a Palestinian flag was found there, according to local authorities.
It was likely an “extreme act of political protest,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
“A Palestinian flag was at the scene,” he added.
A woman wrapped in a Palestinian flag sets herself on fire near the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. She was taken to hospital with serious injuries. This extreme form of protest through self-immolation is commonly used in South Asia. pic.twitter.com/Jxhln2Pkmd
– Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) December 1, 2023
At midday, “a security guard noticed a person attempting to set themselves on fire,” said Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith.
While trying to stop him, the security guard suffered burns.
“Both people suffered burns” and were evacuated to a hospital. The person who attempted to self-immolate “is in critical condition,” Mr. Smith continued, not providing any information about the age or gender of the two injured people.
In the USA, the war between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip is causing high tensions and has led to large demonstrations.