An extreme act of protest has shaken the United Nations headquarters in New York. A man demonstrating in support of Tibet set himself on fire in front of the Glass Palace and died shortly after being hospitalized, according to city police reports.
The incident occurred at the intersection of East 43rd Street and First Avenue, where the protester had set up a demonstration displaying a Tibetan flag and several signs condemning the Chinese government. UN surveillance cameras captured him conducting his protest before dousing himself with flammable liquid and setting his body ablaze.
Emergency responders arrived promptly, and the man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where doctors later confirmed his death.
According to US media, the protester was identified by an acquaintance as Lobga Rangzen, a Tibetan who had been living in the United States for about twenty years. At the time of the protest, he was wearing traditional monastic attire and had planted a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk. After being engulfed in flames, he collapsed to the ground in less than a minute, in front of passersby, during one of the city's busiest hours.
The incident draws attention to the Tibetan issue and the extreme forms of protest some activists have adopted over the years to denounce Beijing's policies towards the Himalayan region.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved