A person was seriously injured on Friday when he attempted to set himself on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, in the southeast of the United States, after a Palestinian flag was found there, according to local authorities.
It is likely an “extreme act of political protest,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
“A Palestinian flag was at the scene,” he added.
At midday, “a security guard noticed that a person was attempting to set themselves on fire” outside the building, said Roderick Smith, Atlanta Fire Chief.
While trying to stop him, the security guard was burned.
“Both individuals suffered from burns” and were evacuated to a hospital. The person who tried to self-immolate “is in critical condition,” continued Mr. Smith, specifying neither the age nor the gender of the two injured.
In the United States, the war between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip is causing strong tensions and has given rise to major demonstrations.
