A Tibetan protester died Thursday after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The 52-year-old man, identified as Palden Lobsang, shared a video of the act, which occurred on a street corner in Midtown Manhattan.
In the footage, Lobsang is seen walking toward the intersection carrying a Tibetan flag before igniting himself. He then stood in the middle of the street, distributing flyers that read "China out of Tibet" and "Free Tibet" as vehicles passed by. After approximately one minute, Lobsang collapsed to the ground still aflame.
Two security officers were observed rushing to the scene to extinguish the fire. A woman who encountered the event reportedly called 911. Lobsang was pronounced dead at 7:04 p.m., according to sources.
Earlier social media posts from Lobsang's profile showed him sitting outside a Cipriani event venue carrying New York City tourism bags. Another image shows him in the act of self-immolation.
