A man who said he was a journalist lit himself on fire outside the White House on Saturday in an apparent attempt to protest Israel’s war in Gaza through self-immolation .
The man, who was identified as Samuel Mena Jr, was captured on video lightning his left arm on fire, lifting it into the air, and screaming in pain before bystanders and police rushed to help him. Bystanders doused him with water and beat the flame out with towels.
Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department officers restrained the man, who shouted that he was a journalist.
Mena was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to police chief Pamela Smith.
“The District of Columbia has a long and proud history of peaceful First Amendment activities and the Metropolitan Police Department handles hundreds of protests, demonstrations, and other events every year,” she wrote.
“We will continue to support those who choose to protest peacefully and safely, and we will continue to hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in our city,” the statement said.