A fireman in Murcia threatened to burn himself alive in a main square after using a megaphone to explain about the bad working conditions under which he and his companions worked.

The fireman, who belongs to the municipal Fire Department, staged his protest on the Plaza Cardenal Belluga on Monday the 26th of last month.

He actually managed to set himself alight but the Policía Local rapidly put him out using fire extinguishers. They then tackled and handcuffed him.

This occurred about 08.50h that morning in front of the City Hall and was witnessed by many passersby as they were on their way to work.

The man had also armed himself with a fire axe, which explains the reluctance of police officers to approach him or to use their firearms – this is not the United States, after all. 

“They put me between a rock and a hard place,” he explained through the loud-hailer, before listing the working conditions that he and his colleagues were expected to work under.

Then, suddenly he grabbed an orange-coloured bottle and poured its contents (probably gasoline) over himself and despite calls from the police not to do it, he set light to himself.

Officers took advantage of the cloud produced by the fire-extinguishers to reach and restrain him.

The City Hall has opened a discipliary investigation against him and has suspended him pending the result. They have not, however, issued any statement about the said working conditions.

(News: Murcia)

Keywords: Set Light to Himself, Fireman, Fire Extinguishers, Police officers, Town Hall

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