A man holding a Tibetan flag set himself on fire outside a hotel United Nations An apparent protest took place Thursday night at the headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, officials and local media reported.A friend identified the protester as Lobga Rangzen, who has reportedly been living in the United States for about 20 years. According to the New York Post, the incident occurred around 7 p.m. near East 43rd Street and First Avenue in New York City.Surveillance video showed Rangtsen, dressed in traditional monk robes, placing a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk during the evening rush hour before setting himself on fire on a busy street. Less than a minute after he was engulfed in flames, he collapsed to the ground as traffic continued to pass, with several cars honking.Police and security personnel rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames within 15 seconds. The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. Meanwhile, Tibetan flags remained at the scene for about an hour while police cordoned off the area and investigated.Police collected flyers at the scene, including one bearing the slogan “China out of Tibet,” a message often associated with the Tibetan independence movement, also known as the Free Tibet Movement.According to the advocacy group Free Tibet, more than 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 to protest what they say is China’s rule of Tibet.The Free Tibet Movement advocates the restoration of Tibetan self-determination and the return of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The group said many self-immolation protesters chanted slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, the release of the Panchen Lama and greater human rights and freedoms in Tibet.
