A 52-year-old Tibetan activist died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday evening in an apparent protest against Chinese rule over Tibet. The incident took place on First Avenue, opposite the UN building, and shocked people present in the area.

The New York City Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call at around 6:30 p.m. They found the man with severe burns across his body. Emergency teams rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors later declared him dead.

The Tibetan government-in-exile and a Tibetan activist based in New York identified the man as Lobga Rangzen, who was also known as Lobsang Palden. A live video streamed from a Facebook account under his name showed him standing with a Tibetan flag before flames engulfed his body. He later collapsed on the road while vehicles continued moving nearby. Two men eventually put out the fire using fire extinguishers.

Another video posted on the same Facebook account around the same time showed Rangzen speaking about Tibet. He urged Tibetans to unite and continue working for “the independence of Tibet.” He also asked people to “never forget” their heritage and identity. In the video, he accused the Chinese government of creating policies “aimed at destroying the Tibetan identity, culture and language.”

The protest came only a few days after China introduced a new ethnic unity law. The law expands the use of the Chinese language in schools and government offices in ethnic minority regions. It also calls for further “Sinicisation” of religion. Tibetan and human rights groups have raised concerns about the law. They believe it could increase the cultural erasure of ethnic minorities in China. However, Beijing says the law protects the rights of “all ethnic groups.”

Self-immolation has been used as a form of protest by dozens of Tibetans over the past several decades. The Tibetan government-in-exile has linked many of these incidents to opposition against China's rule in Tibet. However, such protests are extremely rare in the United States, making this incident unusual.

On Friday, Penpa Tsering, the leader of Tibet's government-in-exile, expressed grief over Rangzen's death. In his statement, he said he was “deeply saddened” by the self-immolation. He also urged Tibetans to value their lives. “While we honour his devotion, human life is precious and must be preserved to serve the long-term struggle for Tibet,” Tsering said.

After the incident, supporters and protesters gathered outside the UN headquarters on Thursday night. Videos shared on social media showed people holding a vigil and raising slogans in support of Tibet.

In another video posted online by Tibetan activist groups based in New York, well-known Tibetan writer Jamyang Norbu also identified the deceased as Lobga Rangzen. He described him as an independence activist and a respected community leader. Norbu said Rangzen left Tibet during the 1980s and later moved to New York, where he worked as a cab driver.

China's ruling Communist Party has governed Tibet since 1951. Beijing maintains that Tibet has remained part of Chinese territory for centuries. Chinese authorities have banned the Tibetan flag in China and consider it a symbol of Tibetan independence.

Many Tibetans continue to oppose Chinese rule in the region. They have repeatedly raised concerns about restrictions on their religious practices, culture, and language. The Chinese government rejects these allegations and maintains that its policies protect ethnic communities.

In his statement, Penpa Tsering also referred to China's newly introduced ethnic unity law. He said Tibetans were facing a “severe crisis.” He called on governments, Tibetans living in exile, and human rights groups to “speak out at this critical moment.”

A spokesperson for the United Nations said the incident happened after all scheduled meetings had ended for the day. According to the Associated Press, the spokesperson added that the protest did not affect any UN business.