Journalist attempts to set himself on fire at pro-Palestinian rally in DC

Oct 7

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

A man, identified as a former photojournalist, attempted to set himself on fire during a pro-Palestinian rally near the White House on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 5. Samuel Mena Jr. set his left arm ablaze, holding it high and screaming in pain as bystanders quickly intervened, dousing water on Mena and using clothing to extinguish the fire.

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Police officers restrained Mena before transporting him to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While being aided, Mena repeatedly shouted “we spread the misinformation,” and identified himself as a journalist.

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Mena’s former employer, Arizona’s Family, owned by Gray Media, clarified that Mena worked as a news photographer for the local CBS affiliate but was off-duty and not in Washington on station business. The company emphasized its expectation for newsroom employees to maintain neutrality and objectivity. Officials added that Mena is no longer employed there.

😳A photojournalist from Phoenix, Arizona, attempted to self-immolate near the White House at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Saturday evening. Samuel Mena Jr., who lists AZFamily’s KTVK 3TV and KPHO CBS 5 News in his resume, set his left arm ablaze while shouting slogans including… pic.twitter.com/99nbIltOrk
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) October 7, 2024

The Washington, D.C., protest was part of a larger International Day of Action, drawing thousands of demonstrators in the capital and major cities worldwide. Protesters demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

The United States’ role in the conflict faces increasing scrutiny, with reports indicating nearly $18 billion in military aid sent to Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war began one year ago.

Tags: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Palestine, Protests, Washington, Washington DC, White House

A MAN, IDENTIFIED AS A FORMER PHOTOJOURNALIST, ATTEMPTED TO SET HIMSELF ON FIRE DURING A PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE SATURDAY EVENING.

VIDEO SHOWS SAMUEL MENA JR. SETTING HIS LEFT ARM ABLAZE, HOLDING IT HIGH AND SCREAMING IN PAIN.

BYSTANDERS QUICKLY DOUSED THE FLAMES WITH WATER AND USED CLOTHING TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. POLICE OFFICERS RESTRAINED MENA, WHO WAS then TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.

WHILE THE FLAMES WERE BEING EXTINGUISHED — MENA REPEATEDLY SHOUTED, “WE SPREAD THE MISINFORMATION,” AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS A JOURNALIST.

HIS EMPLOYER, ARIZONA FAMILY’S, OWNED BY GRAY MEDIA, WROTE UP AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE INCIDENT SAYING MENA WORKED AS A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE “BUT WAS OFF DUTY AND NOT IN WASHINGTON ON STATION BUSINESS. ARIZONA’S FAMILY EXPECTS ITS NEWSROOM EMPLOYEES TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH NEUTRALITY AND OBJECTIVITY. MENA IS NO LONGER AN EMPLOYEE.”

THE PROTEST IN WASHINGTON D.C. WAS PART OF A LARGER INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION. THOUSANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS SHOWED UP IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION, DEMANDING AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA AND AN END TO U.S. MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL.

THE UNITED STATES’ ROLE IN THE CONFLICT HAS COME UNDER INCREASING SCRUTINY, WITH REPORTS INDICATING NEARLY $18 BILLION IN MILITARY AID SENT TO ISRAEL SINCE THE START OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR BEGAN ONE YEAR AGO.