In a dramatic act of protest, a man identified as Samuel Mena Jr. set himself on fire outside the White House on Saturday, reportedly in response to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Witnesses captured the moment Mena, who claimed to be a journalist, lit his left arm on fire and raised it in the air, screaming in pain before bystanders and police intervened. Onlookers quickly doused the flames with water and towels.
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police officers arrived on the scene and restrained Mena, who was then taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to Police Chief Pamela Smith, “The District of Columbia has a long and proud history of peaceful First Amendment activities… we will continue to support those who choose to protest peacefully and safely, and we will continue to hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in our city.”
This incident occurred on a day when thousands around the world gathered in major cities to protest Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Demonstrators marched through cities such as London, Paris, Rome, and New York, demanding an end to the violence.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, the ongoing campaign has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced millions, prompting widespread allegations of war crimes. Israel has denied these accusations.
Mena, who on social media had expressed plans to attend a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington, had posted a message calling for an end to “settler colonialism” and shared an image with the Palestinian slogan, “from the river to the sea.”
Mena’s act of self-immolation mirrors a similar incident in February, when a U.S. Air Force service member set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, also in protest of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Federal law enforcement has recently issued warnings of potential violence as the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel approaches. Mena, a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, is reportedly employed as a photojournalist in Arizona.
