Pro-Palestinian protester self-immolates outside Israeli consulate in US city of Atlanta

New York: Amid rising anger over Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza, a protester with a Palestinian flag set himself ablaze on Friday outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, capital of the U.S. state of Georgia, according to authorities.

The person, whom officials did not identify, is in critical condition, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference.

A security guard who attempted to intervene was also injured. “We believe this building remains safe, and we do not see any threat here,” the chief said.

“We believe that was an act of extreme political protest.” The protester arrived around 12:17 p.m. at the office building, which houses the consulate as well as several businesses, and used petrol, police said.

A demonstrator in #Atlanta, #Georgia, burned herself in front of the Israeli occupation consulate in protest against the war against #Gaza.#US pic.twitter.com/GtkahQaUrY pic.twitter.com/p0BKoQycKi pic.twitter.com/pXFe09zoIP

— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) December 2, 2023

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on Friday after talks to extend a week-long truce collapsed. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas after its fighters attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. More than 15,000 Gazans — mostly women and children — have been killed during Israel’s assault, which has decimated much of the enclave.

 The conflict has prompted hundreds of protests and rallies — some of them in huge numbers — across the U.S. in support of Palestinians as well as Israel.

This incident came as the US has witnessed an uptick in antisemitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic threats and violence since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Earlier this week, a man was charged with attempted murder over the shooting of three men of Palestinian descent in the US state of Vermont and a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death in Illinois in October.