A man set himself on fire outside the New York City courthouse where former US president Donald Trump’s hush money trial was taking place. A witness said in a Friday interview with Reuters the man threw pamphlets in the air, saw him douse himself from a can and light himself on fire. “At that point, I said, ‘Oh shoot, what am I going to see?’” said the witness. CNN reporters said they saw a man engulfed in flames for more than three minutes. “I see a totally charred human being,” said a CNN reporter. This incident came after jury selection for Trump’s trial was completed, clearing the way for prosecutors and defence attorneys to make opening statements next week in a case stemming from hush money he paid American porn star Stormy Daniels. The New York City courthouse was guarded by police officers and drew a throng of protestors and onlookers on Monday when the trial commenced. Since then, crowds have dwindled. A witness said the smell of smoke lingered in the plaza soon after the incident, and a police officer used an extinguisher on the ground. American investigative researcher Max Azzarello said he had set himself on fire outside of Trump’s trial. “This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup,” said Azzarello. “These claims sound like fantastical conspiracy theory, but they are not.”When it comes to these claims, Azzarello said they are proof of a conspiracy. If people investigate the evidence, he acknowledged they will realize they are true.He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.Azzarello is from Florida and had been in New York City for one week.Five insider sources said in 2023 a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump for his role in paying hush money to Daniels. READ MORE: New York grand jury indicts TrumpAn indictment was expected a few days later. Prosecutors working for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would ask Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that were unknown at the time. He avoided criminal charges for decades despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations. He became the first former president to face charges.
