A protester outside the Israeli embassy in Atlanta was in critical condition Friday after setting ‘himself’ on fire in an “extreme” political statement, according to authorities.
“A Palestinian flag was reported at the location and was part of the protest,” said Darin Schierbaum, Atlanta’s police chief.
He added that the incident was “likely an extreme act of political protest.”
According to emergency responders, a security guard was also injured while attempting to stop the protester.
“Both individuals sustained burns,” Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith told journalists.
He, however, did not specify the age or gender of the protester.
“The security guard noticed that the individual was attempting to set themselves afire” shortly after the protester arrived outside the consulate building around noon (1700 GMT), Smith said.
The guard “immediately attempted but failed to stop the individual.”
According to Smith, the guard was burned on his wrist and knee, while the demonstrator was in critical condition with “full thickness” burns to their body. He went on to say that both were taken to the hospital.
“We actually have dedicated patrols that are occurring at this location and other Jewish and Muslim communities in the city,” Schierbaum added.
Since Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza began in October, there has been an increase in anti-Semitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic threats and violence in the United States.
A US man was charged with attempted murder earlier this week in connection with the shooting of three men of Palestinian heritage in Vermont, and a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death in Illinois in October.
