Protester lights self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
- The protester is believed to have acted alone
- Authorities say there is no danger to the community
- Two people were injured in the incident
Testing on staging11
(NewsNation) — A protester lit themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, resulting in injuries to themself and a security guard.
The incident happened around noon, at a parking deck where the person poured accelerant on themselves and lit themselves on fire. According to officials, the person was fully engulfed in flames and suffered severe burns all over their body.
A security guard was also injured with burns to his leg and wrist from attempting to stop the protester.
Authorities have not confirmed the identity or gender of the person who lit themself on fire, but they did say a Palestinian flag was recovered at the scene. They did not confirm if it was wrapped around the person when they ignited themselves.
The protester is in critical condition at a nearby hospital, and the Atlanta Fire Department and Atlanta Police Department are investigating what happened.
At this time, authorities said there is no nexus of terrorism and the person did not attempt to enter the building. They believe there is no danger to the community at this time.
There were no large-scale protests happening at the time of the self-immolation, and it appears to have been an isolated incident.