A climate activist has died 24 hours after setting himself on fire on the steps of the Supreme Court on Earth Day.
Colorado-based photojournalist Win Alan Bruce, 50, was seriously injured in the incident at 6.30pm on Friday in a court square. He was flown to a hospital, where he died on Saturday.
Capitol police, the Supreme Court Police and the District of Columbia Police responded to the incident.
“A medical helicopter has just landed near the Capitol for emergency medical care. This is not a public safety issue, “Capitol police tweeted.
Mr. Bruce ran a portrait studio in Boulder, and his social media account was full of publications on the environment and Buddhism.
He also left a mysterious post on his Facebook page with fiery emojis and the date of his death, April 22, 2022. It appears that the post was edited a few days before his death.
Dr. K. Crete, a Buddhist priest from Boulder, wrote on Twitter that Mr. Bruce had planned to set himself on fire for at least a year.
“This man was my friend. He was meditating with our sangha, “she said.
“This act is not suicide. It is a deeply fearless act of compassion to draw attention to the climate crisis. We are gathering information, but he has been planning it for at least a year. #wynnbruce I’m so excited. ”
This man was my friend. He meditated with our sangha. This action is not suicide. It is a deeply fearless act of compassion to draw attention to the climate crisis. We are gathering information, but he has been planning it for at least a year. #wynnbruce I’m so excited. https://t.co/bHoRaLK6Fr
– Dr. K. Kritee (@KriteeKanko) April 24, 2022
Dr Kritee also shared a quote from Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh, referring to the practice of self-immolation by Vietnamese in protest of the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
“To express the will by burning, therefore, does not mean to commit an act of destruction, but to carry out an act of construction, that it, to suffer and die in the name of your people,” the statement said.
Dr Kritee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr Bruce appears to belong to Shambhala, a Boulder-based Buddhist organization that often shares quotes from Buddhist teachers such as Chogyam Trungpa.
Win Alan Bruce left a mysterious message on his Facebook page a year before his death
(Facebook)
His latest post on March 28 reads: “This is not humor. It’s all about breathing, “followed by” Clean air matters. “
A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to Mr Bruce indicates that he is a photojournalist who has previously attended Community College of Denver and Front Range Community College.
Fellow environmental activists are expected to plan a vigil for Mr Bruce later this week.
Mr Bruce’s Facebook page was flooded with messages from friends and activists expressing their condolences.
Daniel Gager wrote: “Thank you for the act of compassion you bravely performed. I’m sorry you’re not here now. But what he did for the world required so many things.
A close friend, April Lyon, said his death was “heartbreaking.”
“I meditated and danced with Win for many years and saw him as a kind and compassionate man. I do not know his motives, but my opinion is that, as activists, we must be careful not to sacrifice ourselves for the cause. “
Others were critical of what they said was “Mr Bruce’s wrong view on climate change”.
In 2018, climate activist David Buckle, 60, died in a self-immolation at Prospect Park in Brooklyn in protest of the use of fossil fuels.
Shortly before his death, Mr. Buckle e-mailed a death note to several media outlets explaining his actions.
David Buckle spoke at a 2008 press conference on marriage equality
(Reuters)
“Most people on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy from fossil fuels, and many die of early death as a result – my early death from fossil fuels reflects what we do to ourselves.
Mr. Buckle was a well-known civil rights lawyer and LGBTQ activist and led the Lambda Legal Marriage Equality Project.
The USCP has advised a helicopter to land in the Supreme Court building on medical grounds, according to media reports, a man tried to set himself on fire in front of the building. pic.twitter.com/PLHDMJ1dlM
– ً (@IntelDoge) April 22, 2022
His death is believed to have been one of the first acts of self-immolation since the 1960s, when Vietnam War activists set themselves on fire in protest.
If you are experiencing suffering and isolation or struggling to cope, the Samaritans offer support; you can talk to someone for free on the phone, confidentially, at 116 123 (UK and ROI), send an email to jo@samaritans.org or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you live in the United States and you or someone you know needs mental health care right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The hotline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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