From the MT:
“St.
Petersburg Man Sets Himself on Fire Holding ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’
Sign”
An elderly man
wearing a “Happy Birthday Mr. President” sign set himself on fire on a crowded
street in central St. Petersburg on President Vladimir Putin’s 68th birthday
Wednesday, media reported. The unnamed 71-year-old businessman was hospitalized
in serious condition after his self-immolation witnessed by dozens of passersby
outside a shopping mall. The Sobaka.ru outlet said the victim suffered first-
and second-degree burns to 45% of his body surface. Eyewitnesses described
hearing him scream out “something about President Putin’s birthday and a gift”
before committing the act, the Megapolis news website reported. Videos later showed a half-burnt sign reading
“...Birthday Mr. President” next to the man writhing in pain surrounded by
police and passersby. According to the Fontanka.ru news site, the victim has
operated a commercial real estate firm located near the site of his
self-immolation for nearly 20 years. Police
said the burn victim had been under observation at a psychiatric institution,
according to St. Petersburg’s Business News Agency.
This is the
second self-immolation act to take place in Russia within a week. On Friday,
independent journalist Irina Slavina died after setting herself on fire in
front of the Nizhny Novgorod police headquarters. Her final social media post told followers to
“blame the Russian Federation” for her death, which occurred the day after
police raided her home for evidence of her role within the opposition.
^ It is extremely
sad to see people feel so lost about their leaders and their country that they
believe they have no other option than to do this. I do not doubt their
feelings, but wish they (and people who feel like them) could find another way
to get their message across. ^
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