Man sets self on fire outside Trump trial

A man set himself on fire on Friday in a park outside the court where Donald Trump is standing trial in Manhattan, with a witness describing him throwing pamphlets before officers rushed to extinguish the flames.
Burning clothes were strewn in the park, which was locked down by authorities, while ambulances lined up nearby on standby, an AFP correspondent at the scene saw, describing a strong smell of burning chemicals.
Video seemingly taken by witnesses and posted on social media showed a person standing engulfed in flames, then falling to the ground as officers rushed to beat out the blaze.
One patrolman used a small fire extinguisher in an attempt to control the blaze.
A witness who gave his name as Dave, 73, told AFP that he saw a man throwing pamphlets before dousing himself with an unspecified liquid and lighting himself on fire.
“It’s hard to even process in your brain,” another witness, who declined to give his name, told Reuters.
TV reporters described the incident unfolding moments after the full panel of 12 jurors and six alternates was selected for the trial of the former president in a hush money cover-up case.
It appeared hearings in the case would resume after lunch despite the incident, but later than usual at 3pm (1900 GMT).
“A male did light himself on fire outside of the Supreme Courthouse. We’re still gathering details from the field,” said a New York Police Department spokesman who gave no motive for the man’s action.
A fire department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment about Friday’s incident, but media reported the man had been taken away for medical treatment.
The self-immolation happened in a park opposite the 100 Centre Street courthouse, which has been used by authorities to corral protesters, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump, as well as well as by some members of the media.
The park, which is close to several courthouses and other buildings, was cordoned off following the incident.
Nearby, a pamphlet was visible that referred to “evil billionaires” and called on people to “expose this corruption”.
The portion that was visible to a Reuters witness did not mention Trump.
The incident came shortly after jury selection for the trial was completed, clearing the way for prosecutors and defence attorneys to make opening statements next week in a case stemming from hush money paid to an adult entertainment actress.
The 12 jurors, along with six alternates, will consider evidence in a first-ever trial to determine whether a former US president is guilty of breaking the law.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, mostly employed in white-collar professions: two corporate lawyers, a software engineer, a speech therapist and an English teacher.
Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment that his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to the actress before the 2016 election to keep quiet about an encounter she says they had a decade earlier.