Iran Press/ America: Before his self-immolation, Nelson posted a video on YouTube explaining his motives. In the video, Nelson stated, "My name is Matt Nelson, and I’m about to take drastic action in protest. We are all complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We consider ourselves the greatest nation in history, but the money we spend on war exceeds the total we invest in educating our children, helping the homeless, ensuring equal rights for all Americans, and protecting the environment."
Nelson criticized the US as being "enslaved by capitalism and the military-industrial complex," and lamented that many Americans have become indifferent to these issues.
He called on the government to stop sending money and weapons to Israel, which he claimed are used to imprison and kill innocent Palestinians. He urged for international legal action against Israeli leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu, for their role in the conflict.
Nelson also encouraged people to contact their senators and representatives, demanding legislation to halt U.S. support for Israel. "If current lawmakers don’t act, vote for those who will. Democracy should serve the will of the people, not the interests of the wealthy. Take back power. Free Palestine," he urged.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing Nelson douse himself in gasoline before setting himself alight, with surveillance footage capturing him walking through the flames. Arab writer Samar Jarrah highlighted Nelson's protest on social media, stating, "This is the fifth time someone in the US has self-immolated in protest against the war in Gaza."
Earlier in February 2024, a US serviceman Aaron Bushnell, 25, declared he would ‘no longer be complicit in genocide’ before he set himself alight outside the Israeli regime's embassy in Washington while protesting the US participation in the regime's genocidal war on Gaza.
In another incident in December 2023, in Atlanta outside an Israeli consulate office, a protester set themselves on fire.
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