The dangers of glorifying suicide as protest

Photo courtesy of Talia Jane via X

On Feb. 25, 2024, Aaron Bushnell died after setting himself on fire outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. As reported by NPR, Bushnell live-streamed his self-immolation on the social media platform Twitch. Before lighting himself on fire, the 25-year-old told his audience that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” While engulfed in flames, his cries of “free Palestine!” could be heard through the livestream.

Bushnell is the most recent example of a long history of people using suicide as a form of protest. Suicide by hanging, drowning, hunger strikes and self-immolation have been used to achieve political influence for centuries. The extreme nature of these acts makes them exceptionally effective at garnering attention. However, the recent glorification of suicide as an act of protest is an extremely dangerous precedent to set.  

Traditional news outlets and social media wasted no time in reacting to the news of Bushnell’s self-immolation. The internet quickly became filled with content depicting him as a hero and martyr who laid his life down for a noble cause.

Notable figures such as activist and independent presidential candidate, Cornel West, made statements in support of Bushnell’s extreme form of protest. “Let us never forget the extraordinary courage and commitment of brother Aaron Bushnell who died for truth and justice!,” West said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Online content praising Bushnell’s actions soon translated to in-person events as countless vigils were held across the country honoring what was said to be his “sacrifice.” Local events that could have been focused on humanitarian support and paths to peace turned into the glorification of a suicide that now has the potential to contribute to more loss of life.

Bushnell did not sacrifice himself for his cause. His death will do nothing to combat the violence in the Middle East. The most immediate effect of Bushnell’s self-immolation was diverting media coverage about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In place of helpful, factual reporting, there has been a wave of media attention that legitimizes suicide as a form of protest.

On Earth Day in 2022, climate change activist Wynn Bruce performed an act of self-immolation in front of the Colorado Supreme Court. It is believed that his suicide was an act of protest regarding the climate crisis. Two years later, the climate crisis is still only growing. Additionally, this was Bruce’s second time attempting self-immolation, the first being in front of the World Trade Center. He was praised for his act of climate protest but then forgotten.

The glorification of Bushnell’s suicide comes at a time when matters of mental health and self-harm are more pressing than ever before. Data from the CDC shows that suicide rates have been on an incline over the past 20 years in the United States. Taking into account the widely observed phenomenon of contagious suicide, this vulnerability grows increasingly worrisome.

Popularized in the study of terrorism, the “contagion hypothesis” states that media coverage of acts of political violence can serve as motivation for similar movements, leading to an increase in copycat acts of violence. The immense amount of media attention garnered by Bushnell’s self-immolation may be attractive to other individuals who might seek to employ similar tactics in their own protests.

Media outlets have a responsibility to denounce self-inflicted acts of violence. Data published by the NIH shows direct relationships between a country’s suicide rates and the portrayal of suicide in that country’s media. The more a country reports on suicides in the media, the higher the suicide rate. Likewise, the more accepting that media coverage is of suicide, the higher the suicide rate.

Bushnell’s self-immolation is nothing short of a tragedy. But while we should mourn the loss of his life, we should also condemn the action that ended it.

The rhetoric pushing the notion that Bushnell sacrificed his life for the betterment of the Palestinian people is foolish and irresponsible. His death has done nothing to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East; it has only brought more pain to those who knew and loved him. To paint him as a martyr for his cause is to legitimize using suicide as a form of protest. The more we glorify Bushnell’s actions, the more we encourage others to take their own lives in protest.