"Bushnell’s statements echo his message incredibly clearly: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.” He yells, “Free Palestine,” until he falls to the ground, overcome by the flames."
This article published by the Associated Press (an American wire service) was picked up by several Canadian outlets. We also sent this letter to most outlets that published this AP article, including Global News, Winnipeg Free Press, Toronto Sun, and CTV News.
February 27, 2024
To:
Michael Balsamo, Reporter, Associated Press
Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
Dear Michael Balsamo,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding an Associated Press article titled “US airman dies after setting himself ablaze outside Israeli Embassy in Israel-Hamas war protest,” published on February 26 in the Associated Press.
The title is the first case of undermining the motivations behind Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation in front of the Israeli embassy. Considering his descriptive statements before setting himself ablaze, stating that his actions were in protest of the “Israel-Hamas war” in the title is inaccurate. Bushnell’s statements echo his message incredibly clearly: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.” He yells, “Free Palestine,” until he falls to the ground, overcome by the flames. His actions were not in protest to the ambiguous “Israel-Hamas war,” as you write in the headline. Instead, his self-immolation in front of the Israeli embassy was a powerful and extreme form of protest against Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza. To manipulate Bushnell’s words and deviate from his original messaging is highly offensive and exhibits journalistic malpractice. Please edit your language accordingly, both in the headline and throughout the article, where appropriate.
I was surprised that this article omitted comments and posts made by Bushnell leading up to his self-immolation. For example, he posted, “Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’ The answer is you’re doing it. Right now.”[1] This statement further contextualizes the motivations for his eventual self-immolation. To leave it out is either an intentional omission or a sign of weak research. In either case, it’s poor journalism.
Relevant context regarding Israel’s military offensive in Gaza is not mentioned until the very end of your article. Even so, this context remains surface-level and vague. There is no mention of the number of Palestinians who have been killed by Israel, nor the dire conditions that Israel has fostered in Gaza. Omitting this critical information leaves the claims of genocide, to which you briefly refer, unexplained. Considering Bushnell’s self-immolation was in staunch, overt opposition to Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, perhaps a description of the humanitarian crisis that some say amounts to genocide should be included.
I highly recommend that these edits be made to this news article as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] Chad de Guzman, “U.S. Serviceman Dies After Setting Self on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy to Protest War in Gaza” Time Magazine