Chicago – October 06, 2024
On Saturday, a photojournalist named Samuel Mena Jr. set his left arm on fire outside the White House as a protest against the war in Gaza and the United States’ support of Israel.
Mena, who screamed in pain and accused the media of spreading false information, was quickly helped by law enforcement officers who put out the fire. A bystander also helped by pouring water on his arm once the fire was out.
Before the incident, Mena posted on his blog that he was dedicating his arm to the children in Gaza who have suffered in the conflict, hoping to draw attention to their situation. Previously, Mena attempted to raise awareness through a documentary but felt it was ineffective.
Mena has worked for AZFamily, a local CBS affiliate, and studied journalism at Arizona State University. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
This act of protest follows a similar incident where a U.S. Air Force member also set himself on fire for the same reasons.
