Over the weekend outside a federal immigration facility in Portland, a protest took a bizarre turn when a demonstrator attempting to burn an American flag accidentally set himself on fire.
The incident happened during an anti-ICE protest outside the facility, which has been the site of frequent demonstrations in recent months. Video circulating online shows the protester standing in the street while trying to ignite the flag. Moments later, flames suddenly spread and the man appears to catch fire himself.
In the footage, the protester can be seen scrambling and stomping around in an attempt to put the flames out as people nearby shout in alarm.
Anti-ICE rioter tries burning American flag in Portland—ends up lighting themselves on fire! Karma’s got a flame thrower. 😂🇺🇸 #ProtestFail #FlagBurnBackfire #PortlandChaos pic.twitter.com/hT7BzygaGd
— Greg Madden (@GregMaddenUSMC) March 8, 2026
“What an idiot,” one bystander yells in the video as the man struggles to extinguish the fire.
Witnesses can also be heard yelling for someone to help put the flames out while the protester attempts to regain control of the situation. Eventually the fire appears to die down, and the man walks away from the scene while people continue shouting behind him.
It’s unclear whether the protester was injured in the incident.
Portland police said they were aware of the viral video but did not provide further details about what happened.
“I’m aware of the video, just as you are,” a police spokesperson said. “Unfortunately that general area has numerous calls for service each and every night, and it’s beyond the capacity of our office to dig into each and every one of the calls.”
The protest took place outside the Portland ICE facility, which has become a flashpoint for demonstrations during the past several years. Federal officials have repeatedly accused protesters at the location of threatening agents and damaging property, while activists say they are protesting immigration enforcement policies.
Clips of the moment quickly spread across social media, where commenters mocked the protester for accidentally setting himself on fire while trying to stage the flag burning.
Regardless of political views, the moment left many viewers online repeating the same reaction:
You really can’t make this stuff up.
