Political Suicide
On November 9, 1965, in front of the Dag Hammarskjold Library at the United Nations in New York, he composed himself in the position of the Buddhist monks who had immolated themselves in Vietnam earlier, doused himself with gasoline, and set himself aflame.
La Porte died the next day from second- and third-degree burns covering 95 percent of his body. Despite his burns, he remained conscious and able to speak. When asked why he had burned himself, La Porte calmly replied, "I'm a Catholic Worker. I'm against war, all wars. I did this as a religious action."
Read more about this topic: Roger Allen LaPorte
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