Yesterday, August 27, Perhaps the most famous festival in the United States, Burning Man 2023, started in the Black Rock desert in Nevada. Its opening was overshadowed not only by Hurricane Hilary that swept through the day before, flooding the location, but also by the protest of participants in the 7 seven circles movement. Read today in USA.ONE:
Climate activists tried to disrupt Burning Man
What caused this action?
Burning Man 2023 is in jeopardy 
photo: nypost.com
Tens of thousands of people flocked to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada to celebrate the grand Burning Man festival, which this year's theme was animals — ANIMALIA, from August 27 to September 4. But on the very first day, they encountered a problem: the road to the improvised town was blocked by protesters. They blocked the road with trailers and locks with chains, creating a multi-kilometer traffic jam.
In the hands of participants in the "7 seven circles" there were posters with the inscriptions "Down with capitalism!", "General climate strike" and "Arsonists of the world, unite!" The main goal of the climate activists' action was to oppose the popularization of Burning Man among wealthy people who do not follow the values of the festival, which is why the entire event turns into a product and a commercial project.
photo: nypost.com
Also, the protesters' intention was to draw public attention to the inability of capitalism to solve the pressing problems of climate change and the threat of environmental crisis. Activists declared radical self-sufficiency and self-expression to be the core values of the festival, which have lost their relevance due to the influx of wealthy visitors. Protesters say consumerism and materialism are in direct opposition to Burning Man's values.
They also accused the festival of taking an apolitical stance on carbon emissions, which continue to rise despite government and corporate commitments to cut them in half by 2030 .
«The problem is not the climate, but the economic system, which is part of capitalism,» the protesters said. «History shows that capitalism cannot be changed from within or reformed. We are not ready to sacrifice everything for an outdated and unequal economy. So maybe it's time for evolution?»
photo: nypost.com
Participants "7 seven circles" called on Burning Man leadership to advocate for systemic change on both the political and economic levels. For example, banning the operation of private jets, eliminating single-use plastic products, unnecessary burning of propane and unlimited use of generators.
The mood of those gathered was not shared by all the people stuck in the traffic jam. Verbal altercations quickly escalated and led to festival-goers attempting to remove the obstacle from their path on their own. Tensions grew, pushing and shoving and physical clashes ensued. Half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the trailer and refused to leave the road.
photo: nypost.com
Then the rangers intervened. They arrived on the scene and, threatening with guns, ordered the protesters to lie face down on the ground. The activists objected to the use of force against them, as they were unarmed and were simply peacefully protesting, which they had every right to do. Nevertheless, some of the participants were arrested. They were taken to the police station, and the barricade that was blocking access to the festival was removed from the road.
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