Journalist attempts to self-immolate in front of White House during pro-Palestinian rally, proclaims 'end settler colonialism' in manifesto

A man attempted to set himself on fire in Lafayette Park on Saturday during a pro-Palestinian rally. Photos and footage captured by Washington Free Beacon reporter Jessica Costescu show the moment when Samuel Mena Jr. ignited his arm while standing across the street from the White House.

He was seen waving his arm and screaming in pain. Police officers approached him in an attempt to intervene, while bystanders rushed to pour water on him to extinguish the flames.

As Mena screamed in pain, he was reportedly shouting about “misinformation” and declared, “I’m a journalist, and I said it was okay.” Mena is believed to be a graduate of Arizona State University’s School of Journalism and is a self-described production specialist employed as a photojournalist with AZFamily Channels 3 and 5.

One bystander successfully poured water on Mena before a police officer moved in, shouting at the crowd to “back it up!”

The protest occurred almost one year after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to the Daily Mail, Mena had a website that included an essay explaining his actions and his disagreement with “objectivity as it relates to journalism” in the context of the Gaza conflict.

Mena’s X account features a photo of him in front of a Palestinian flag. He also had posts announcing his plan to livestream from outside the White House, along with a call to “end settler colonialism.”

Mena’s act of protest follows a similar incident that happened earlier this year when an Air Force servicemember lit himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC. The man, identified as Aaron Bushnell, shouted “Free Palestine” as he eventually died from his wounds.