Man's Self-Immolation Colors Trump Case Trial

The man grabbed pamphlets from his backpack, threw them into the air, then doused himself with liquid and set himself on fire.

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NEW YORK, SATURDAY — A man identified as Max Azzarello committed self-immolation outside the New York courthouse, United States. when the trial over the hush money case in the case of former US President Donald Trump took place. Before the action, the perpetrator took out a pamphlet with the words "Evil Billionaire".

The man from St Augustine, State of Florida, burned for several minutes on Friday (19/4/2024) local time or Saturday (20/4/2024) early morning WIB. This horrific action was recorded by various US national television cameras which were covering Trump's trial directly. “He burned for quite a long time. It was terrible," said one witness.

Also read: Man in US Air Force uniform sets himself on fire at Israeli Embassy

One of the pamphlets contained a reference to "evil billionaires", but did not mention Trump. The fire was successfully extinguished and the perpetrator was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The New York Police Department said the man's self-immolation could not be linked to the Trump trial.

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New York police officers gathered evidence around a park outside the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, USA, where a man set himself on fire on Friday (4/19/2024) local time. The court is the location of the trial involving the hush money case of former President Donald Trump.

According to the police, the action does not appear to specifically target Trump or other parties involved in the trial. "We currently label them as conspiracy theorists and we will proceed from there," said Tarik Sheppard, Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department.

Also read: Activists Remember Aaron Bushnell's Self-Immolation in Front of the Israeli Embassy in the US

In the trial, Donald Trump was accused of giving hush money to a porn star named Stormy Daniels. The hush money of 130,000 USD was paid through his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The money was given to a porn star named Stephanie Clifford, real name, before the 2016 election as hush money so that Daniels would not reveal their sexual relationship. According to Daniels, they did it ten years before the 2016 US Presidential Election. Trump denies all accusations directed at him.

Trump arrived at the trial with tight security. This case is the only one that is certain to be tried before the election on November 5th. In the upcoming election, Trump is almost certain to be the presidential candidate for the Republican Party.

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The issue of air pollution is not a new phenomenon. The condition of society threatened by air pollution has long been prevalent. There is a significant amount of research evidence highlighting the dangers of air pollution, yet this has not led to any significant efforts to control it. As a result, residents increasingly suffer and live in distress due to air pollution. Republican Party presidential candidate and former US president, Donald Trump, arrived at Trump Tower on April 19, 2024 in New York City. He faces 34 charges of misconduct, including falsifying business records, in his first criminal case involving hush money paid to a porn star.

In a manifesto uploaded online (online), an account using the perpetrator's name posted a warning about an "apocalyptic fascist coup". The post also criticized the cryptocurrency system and US politicians, but did not specifically highlight Trump.

TV journalists who were at the location said the incident took place after Trump's trial with the agenda for selecting members of the jury panel had finished. After the action, Trump's trial continued after a lunch break, but started later than usual.

Also read: Donald Trump Swallows a Bitter Pill

The act of self-immolation took place in a park across from the 100 Center Street courthouse in New York. This location is commonly used to detain protesters, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump.

The park, which is located near several court buildings and other structures, is a popular lunch spot and was closed after the incident.

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Police officers in New York gathered evidence around a park outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, where a man set himself on fire on Friday afternoon, April 19, 2024 in New York City.

This act of self-immolation is the second in the US in recent months. In February 2024, an active duty member of the US Air Force also self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in protest against the war in Gaza. The man died because of his actions.

Tight security

The trial of the Trump case was held with tight security in the courtroom on the 15th floor. The courtroom was filled with secret service officers and court police. The New York Police Department deployed officers to ensure that the trial proceeded safely.

Also read: Unable to Pay Fines, Donald Trump Threatened Bankruptcy

During the self-immolation action, the trial had completed selecting 12 jury members and six alternate jury members who will decide whether Trump is guilty or not in the bribery case. Throughout the trial, the jury will consider the evidence presented in court.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of business record forgery filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He even denied ever meeting Daniels. Previously, Trump had also pleaded not guilty in three other criminal cases. (AFP/REUTERS)