May 06 2020 | Radio Biafra
Bruce Baruch Mayrock born 6th May 1949 – died 30 May 1969 was from Old Westbury, New York, Bruce Mayrock was a student at Columbia University who set himself ablaze at the premises of the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 29 May 1969. He lit himself up to register his displeasure with world governmental bodies silence to protest the genocide against the Nation and people of Biafra in the Nigerian Civil War.
Bruce Baruch Mayrock doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself afire on the lawn outside the U.N. building. The fire was spotted by United Nations security guards who ran after him with fire extinguishers. Mayrock eluded them, running to the north lounge of the building as witnessed by several hundred delegates. Mayrock finally fell to his knees beside the bronze statue sculpted by Evgeniy Vuchetich to represent the human wish to end all wars, which bears the slogan “Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares”.
The flames were extinguished and he – Bruce Mayrock was rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center where he was listed in critical condition and was pronounced dead in the early hours of 30 May 1969, the Biafran Independence Day. He was carrying a cardboard sign which said, “You must stop the genocide—please save 9 million Biafrans.” Bruce Mayrock had worked actively to protest the war in Biafra, writing letters about the war to the U.S. President and leading governmental figures yet no good response were coming from them.
Bruce Mayrock, a University undergraduate took his life to protest the killing of innocent Biafran babies and what he believed was genocide in Biafra. He was concerned that people were being killed and no one was doing anything and no one was listening. Bruce Mayrock graduated with highest honours from Flatbush Yeshivah and was a Student of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America as well as Columbia University, and worked as a photographer for the Columbia Daily Spectator. He had previously studied briefly at Hofstra University. He is buried in Mount Ararat Cemetery, Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York. In the midst of world conspiracy against the people of Biafra.
While all looked the other way as Biafrans were inhumanly massacred. Saint Bruce Baruch Mayrock gave his life as a supreme sacrifice in protest. If a young Man, a youth in faraway America could kill himself in protest of the genocide against the innocent Biafran people, what are you still waiting for? Why still delay? His memory lingers on till eternity, never shall we forget him and never shall we stop remembering him until Biafra he strongly believes in is restored.
When the world silently kept mute on our killings Bruce Baruch Mayrock said no, no to injustice and genocide, starvation and blockade as churned out by Jack Yakubu Gowon and his army of perdition against a sacred breed from Chukwu Okike Abiama. History will forever remember him for the selfless service to humanity that he played so Biafra maybe heard. On 30th of May 2020, we shall remember Him and those who died that we may live.
Published by:
Chibuike John Nebeokike
For: Radio Biafra Media
