TEHRAN- The tragic death of U.S. airman Aaron Bushnell, who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest the regime’s genocide in Gaza, has triggered global outrage.

Aaron, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, sacrificed his life to turn the spotlight on Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and the U.S. support for the regime’s barbarism in the besieged Palestinian territory. 

On social media, tributes poured in from every corner of the globe, with ordinary people hailing him as a "hero" and a "martyr" for peace.

The hashtag #AaronBushnell remained the most popular trend on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

On Monday, people gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington to mourn Aroan. 

The vigil took shape with a gathering of diverse voices united by a shared sense of grief and solidarity.

American veteran Lucas Gage denounces the U.S. support for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. He says American tax dollars are going to Israel’s offensive in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of men, women, and children. Veterans stood shoulder to shoulder with students, activists and ordinary citizens, all drawn together by a common belief in the righteousness of Aaron’s cause.

Leah, a Palestinian American who declined to provide her last name, said she believed it was important for her to attend the vigil "to show solidarity and support with those who are taking extreme acts of resistance that shows their solidarity and support with Palestine and our people," according to Turkey’s Anadolu. 

Josephine Guilbeau, a former Army intelligence officer, said she flew out from Ohio for the vigil because she believes Aaron’s "death cannot be in vain."

"His message needs to get out. And we also need to make sure that we are supporting anybody else that's like Aaron, that's having these same feelings, because how are we supposed to deal with a genocide?" she asked rhetorically.

"We've never seen anything like this before in our lives, and our government just expects that the American people are going to watch this unfold for five months now, and there aren't going to be any mental issues. Of course, there's mental issues across the board. Anybody with access to the Internet is watching a genocide unfold in modern-day time," Guilbeau added. 

Jenny Rosemary, a 22-year-old resident of Annandale, Virginia, said Aaron’s fatal protest "was an extreme act, but an act of morality."

"I think we should all hope to be that brave," Rosemary said. "I think to get to this point, it's taken a lot of ignorance on behalf of the U.S. government...They can't have missed all the videos of people suffering and the deaths, you know, but I'd like to think that one of their own kind, you know, someone who's in the military, that hopefully will change something."

Sarah, a college student who had come to pay her respects and gave her first name only, spoke of the profound impact Aaron’s death had on her own sense of purpose.

"His bravery has shaken me to the core," she told TRT World. "It makes me question what I'm doing to make a difference in the world."

Lucas Gage, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, also spoke out against his country’s backing of Israel.  

“That man (Aaron) took his life to send a message to the world on behalf of the men, women and children who have been mass murdered by the Israeli offensive force. Because Israel is not defending itself. Israel has been on the offensive for 75 years. Our tax dollars going to this offensive that kills tens of thousands of men, women and children,” he said. 

In a video recording that went viral on social media before his death on Sunday, Aaron said, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.” 

Aaron was repeatedly heard shouting "Free Palestine!" as flames engulfed him before he collapsed to the ground.

As he screamed in pain, a law-enforcement officer yelled at him to get on the ground. A second officer yelled at the first: “I don’t need guns, I need fire extinguishers.” 

Aaron was a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed in San Antonio. He joined the Air Force as an active-duty member in May 2020 and has since worked in information technology and development operations.

Aaron set himself ablaze at a time that protests are also increasing across the United States against Israel’s crimes in Gaza.

International pressure has been mounting on Washington to rein in Israel whose military campaign has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7.

But the U.S. continues to supply the regime with weapons and shield it with UN Security Council vetoes.