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Photo: DPA

Woman sets herself on fire before Reichstag

Published: 11 Apr 11 13:44 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110411-34321.html

A woman has been hospitalized with severe burns after setting herself on fire in front of the Reichstag parliamentary building in Berlin over the weekend.

The 58-year-old Latvian woman doused her thighs in a flammable liquid and set it alight on Sunday, a police spokeswoman said.

A security guard noticed the flames and tried to administer first aid, she added.

The woman was treated for second-degree burns to her legs at a nearby hospital.

Her motivation to harm herself apparently stemmed from a conflict in her home country. In addition to carrying several banners illustrating political issues in Latvia, she was also allegedly having problems with her mother.

According to Berlin daily B.Z., a blackened section on the Reichstag lawn where the incident occurred was still visible on Monday.

DAPD/DPA/The Local/ka

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15:06 April 11, 2011 by jbaker
She needs to be arrested for this Disgrace in front of the National Shrine. This was not a Joke like the Man from Canada Posing and having fun at Germany's Expense. This had to be Mental Agony for the Weak Minded who witnessed this.
15:20 April 11, 2011 by derExDeutsche
She was demanding military intervention in Latvia. She read theLocal and got the idea that that was Germany's job.
15:57 April 11, 2011 by bramblebush
"doused her thighs..."

Was she listening to Elvis, "Hunka Hunka Burning Love"?
16:07 April 11, 2011 by Altdude
jbaker may well be correct about the woman's mental state. However, Robert McNamara himself confirmed that a protester's self-immolation outside his office changed the course of world history in Southeast Asia, and similar acts by Buddhists monks in Saigon had far-reaching effects. Extreme political acts are by their nature anti-social. No conundrum therein.
18:36 April 11, 2011 by Zlik
Hey Mack , look over there, Is that what I think it is?

Yup, it is. A woman on fire... Pass me the ketchup.
18:52 April 11, 2011 by wenddiver
What Germany won't solve problems with your Mother back in Latvia??? What kind of Nanny state are you.
19:08 April 11, 2011 by Landmine
Maybe she couldn't afford lipo suction on her legs and as a protest set her thighs on fire took matter into her own handsto say lipo is too expensive in Germany...
19:11 April 11, 2011 by hfj
jbaker: I would think that second-degree burns would be punishment enough. (Similarly, capitalizing "Disgrace" is an adequate proof of your sincere Germanness; you need not punish English further.)
01:45 April 12, 2011 by avictor
She inadvertently demonstrated for mental illness awareness and intervention.
05:26 April 12, 2011 by belladons
Good, she paid the price for her stupidity. Just another moronic idiot wanting attention because she is weak. I'm sure there are many more like her who ride on the coat tails of the strong.
07:08 April 12, 2011 by brigand
@branblebush

Better "Hunka Hunka Burnin Love" than "Great Balls of Fire"!
09:32 April 12, 2011 by Gilly58
UPDATE....Police have just recovered the ?"Black Box?" and confirmed the it was Rod Stewarts ?"Hot Legs?"
12:03 April 12, 2011 by moistvelvet
Strange how people react to how this woman protested, if this was in the middle east she would have been hailed a heroine and calls would have been made to bring down the government.
12:10 April 12, 2011 by Angry Ami
LOL, hey well it's Berlin, could be S & M gone too far,

but on the serious side, so now she'll get free health care, that we working folks have to pay for, and free food, and free housing, and blah die blah, the whole thing is probably a ruse to immigrate, usually if you want to protest things at home, you protest at home, that's what people do here, I don't buy it, sorry, no I'm not sorry.
12:27 April 12, 2011 by moistvelvet
Latvia is in the EU so I thought she wouldn't need an excuse to immigrate, she can live/work here just like the rest of us Europeans, or?
12:51 April 12, 2011 by Gilly58
...as AngryAmi says, don't worry to much moistvelvet, she'll be well looked after now, so it's a good job it was Berlin and not the ME, coz she would probably be pushing up daisies by now. I wonder how the Security Guard is though, did he suffer any burns or receive treatment for shock? Perhaps he will be hailed a hero for helping the lady which in turn, should please you then everyone is happy, accept for ole "Hot Legs" that is.
13:54 April 12, 2011 by Krim
Showing shoes to Von Gutenberg. putting fire on herself. The import from the Arab world is increasing...
15:49 April 12, 2011 by moistvelvet
"Hot legs" wasn't even funny the first time round.
16:03 April 12, 2011 by Gilly58
I beg to differ MV but who gives a stuff whether you have a SOH or not.
16:13 April 12, 2011 by whpmgr
I just feel for the guy who had to smell that burning Fish smell...

And, hey, being she is from Latvia, I'll bet all of that hair protected her from any serious burns.
22:43 April 12, 2011 by romber58
This has to be the most tacky and hateful bunch of comments that i have ever read on this site,
15:07 April 13, 2011 by derExDeutsche
@ romber58

Ever since advocating a Communist State has become so Passé, the regulars at theLocal.de have regressed to potty humor.
07:48 April 15, 2011 by Universalismus
@romber58

Because this is the most read newspaper on the left quadrant of the milkyway. (pfffft, as if)
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