Pro-Palestine protester critically injured after setting self on fire outside Israeli consulate

A pro-Palestine protester is in critical condition after setting themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, authorities said.

The person, who has not been identified, set up outside the building on Friday afternoon and used gasoline as an accelerant, Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith said.

A Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest.

The security guard that tried to stop the person was burned on his wrist and leg, Smith said. Meanwhile, the activist was in critical condition, with burn injuries to the body.

Investigators do not believe there was any connection to terrorism and none of the consular staff were put in danger.

“We do not see any threat here,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, “we believe it was an act of extreme political protest that occurred.”

Demonstrations have been widespread spanning across the globe as tensions mount over the escalations in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

More than 15,200 people have been killed by Israel’s assault on Hamas-controlled Gaza, according to the Health Ministry there.

The retaliatory attack followed the October 7 attack by Hamas and other militants, who killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and took around 240 people captive.

A weeklong cease-fire that brought the exchanges of dozens of hostages held by Hamas for scores of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel gave way Friday morning as fighting resumed.

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