Bruce Mayrock was a 20-year old student of Columbia University in New York who set himself ablaze in front of the United Nations Building in Manhatten, New York City on May 29th 1969 as an act of protest against the genocide that was being meted on the people of Biafra by Nigeria during the civil war. He died the next day on May 30th 1969.
History has it that during the Biafra genocide, He was getting the pictures of children dying as a result of hunger and starvation imposed on them by The Nigeria Government. He wrote many times UN and other world powers to help Biafra children dying as result of injustice perpetuated against them by the British, Russian and other countries that assisted Nigeria in the battle but he was ignored by the UN.
On 29 may ,1969. He went to the UN headquarters in New York and set himself ablaze.
United Nations guards spotted the flames and chased the youth across the lawn with fire extinguisher. But Mayrock eluded the guards, racing in front of the North Lounge of the building before several hundred horrified delegates and onlookers. The student finally fell to his knees beside a statue bearing the Biblical inscription “Let us beat our swords into plowshares * and the guards extinguished the flames. Mayrock was rushed to ßellevue Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with burns over most of his body and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. At the U.N., guards found a large cardboard sign on the front lawn which said, “You must stop the genocide–please save 9 million Biafrans.” At the bottom of the sign, a quotation read, “Peace Israeli where there is an absence of fear of any kind.” hero on fire.
Rest In Peace MAYROCK.
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