Embodied Compassion: On Art, Activism & Self Immolation

The body is the entwined site of resistance & liberation. Aaron Bushnell's actions are the DEEPEST form of embodied, political art & activism.

Resources at the end of the post.

The body is the entwined site of resistance & liberation. Aaron Bushnell’s actions are the DEEPEST form of embodied, political art & activism.

Everything he performed was eloquent, pristine & strategic. I can imagine that as an active duty, U.S. Airman in uniform, he KNEW that in his “costume,” he would be able to walk unimpeded to the site & stage of ground zero for US + World imperialism, the Israeli consulate in Washington D.C.. His remarks on Facebook confirm abiding, embodied, RADICAL COMPASSION… To be willing to experience suffering AND be moved to relieve it. He ensured his actions were memorialized, both live-streaming and lettering news outlets in advance.

Aaron was in sound mind and body to perform this act of political theatre. His collected, calm voice explaining his actions as he walked confidently into place, the sound of his water bottle rolling on concrete, the images, the sound of the crackling fire behind his final words “FREE PALESTINE,” the words of the first responders on the scene “I don’t need guns, I need a fire extinguisher,” complete the dramaturgy to disrupt the thought pattern of ruling class status quo.

From “The Self-Immolation of David Buckel: Towards a Postdramatic Activism”

Warriors, monks, artists, activists and street vendors alike take to this very rare and profoundly impactful form of protest with SOUND purpose to BURN THROUGH the spectacle of neoliberal, empty and performative words to say WE NO LONGER BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY BECAUSE WE SEE WHAT YOU DO. These protests are MEANT to disturb, are MEANT to ignite uprising, MEANT to move US into action to relieve suffering.

From “The Self-Immolation of David Buckel: Towards a Postdramatic Activism”

It is nothing new for so many Americans to stand SILENT, docile, frozen, numbed as their own tax dollars fund the destruction of humans who’s names & lives they’ll never know, in both their own country and countless countries abroad.

COMPLACENCY is the cause of genocide, not terrorism.
Terrorism is the result of OPPRESSION.
DISRUPTION is the key to transformation.
ANGER initiates us into action.

Aaron’s actions are not extreme compared to the CAUSE of his actions.

Ceasefire isn’t enough, we need an end to imperialism, colonialism, all genocides, extractive capitalism and all systems that have been steadily choking the life out of ALL of us, regardless of race, gender, social location or country of origin. Choking the life out of our one and only home because NONE of these oppressive systems live in a vacuum. ALL are intertwined. ALL occur to us at the site of our subjugation and death, THE BODY.

THE BODY is our site, key, method, tool to liberate ourselves and each other through INTENTIONAL RESISTANCE.

RESISTANCE is our birthright.

HATE is a condition that can be deconditioned with strategic, collaborative, pervasive, intentional, long term solidarity and commitment to stay ACTIVELY ENGAGED to relieving collective suffering.

The present moment is the PERFECT TIME to begin or continue your engagement to birth the world we know is possible because ALL of us have the potential to live into EMBODIED LOVE.

Aaron Bushnell will stand in martyrdom with the unnamed activist who also self immolated in support of Palestine on Dec 1, 2023 in Atlanta, without coincidence on Spring Street. He will stand in martyrdom with Thích Quảng Đức who self immolated in protest of U.S. backed Vietnamese oppressive regime and Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi who became the catalyst for Arab Spring. He will stand in martyrdom with COUNTLESS others I have not named, countless others who’s names we’ll never know. Our effort is not to immortalize Aaron, but to join with his embodied compassion and act from our comfort & privilege to dismantle the systems that have martyred millions of Palestinians, Yemeni, Sudanese, Congolese, Cuban, Haitian, Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, and all those who have been unalived by Colonialist oppression.

Aaron was a devoted ANARCHIST and the media & US military will paint him as mentally ill because the machine cannot FATHOM the heart and LOVE required to TRULY sacrifice oneself for the greater good.

Rest in power Aaron, we will not forget you, your cause, and we will remain committed to our praxis of embodying DIRECT, ENGAGED global solidarity in action.

RESOURCES:

St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee
BDS Movement
Protect Palestine
U.S. Campaign for Palestine Rights
U.S. Military Funding to Israel Map
Conquer & Divide
Veterans For Peace