Self-Immolator Matt Nelson Reportedly Alive
Self-Immolator Matt Nelson Reportedly Alive
Last night I was on Flashpoints with Dennis Bernstein about Matt Nelson, who is by all indications the person who immolated themselves across from the Israeli consulate in Boston on Sept.
In Matt Nelson's words:
"My name is Matt Nelson and I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest," he said in a video first uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday. "We are all culpable in the ongoing genocide in Gaza."
"We are slaves to capitalism and the military-industrial complex. Most of us are too apathetic to care," Nelson continued. "The protest I'm about to engage in is a call to our government to stop supplying Israel with the money and weapons it uses to imprison and murder innocent Palestinians, to pressure Israel to end the genocide in Gaza, and to support the [International Criminal Court] indictment of [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government."
"A democracy is supposed to serve the will of the people, not the interests of the wealthy," he added. "Take the power back. Free Palestine."
If he makes it, he is going to be infinitely full of regret with the consequences he'll have to live with.
Why would you think that people who have the courage to act on their principles would regret it?
The amount of self determination it must take to smell the gasoline and still strike the match makes me think that the people who do this are capable of living with the consequences of their actions.
I think what will hurt worse is that the genocide is still talking place and his sacrifice didn't move the needle as much as he would have expected.
I don't think you can presume to know what he expected when he hasn't said what he expected, or to know the effect it's had within a handful of days.
Every sacrafice slowly moves the public opinion needle. There is never a single instance people can point to that instantly changed everyone's mind.
That said, after Aaron Bushnell I doubt self immolation is going to make much of an impact anymore. Direct action such as blocking highways and israeli arms factories are much more effective now.
People very rarely survive significant burns. I know the article says 50/50, but he is essentially dead. The infection risk is just too high.
You think he will not just try to commit suicide again?
I have read that statistically people tend not to. Don't know the truth of it. He'll still be suffering in the meantime.
I support Palestine, but self harm isn't the answer. Protesting in this way doesn't help anyone.