Burning Man ‘Burners’ Warn Of Heavy Police Presence + Live Stream

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Burning Man ‘Burners’ Warn Of Heavy Police Presence + Live Stream

Burning Man veterans, more collectively known as burners as well as early attendees have warned of an overly heavy police occupation at this years edition of the festival with not only local but state forces making their presence felt with “illegal checkpoints, entering property illegally and using threats of violence towards non-violent people”. All sounding like pretty bad juju.

There’s also word of a strike from RIOT – Reform In Our Time, a group of self powered law makers within the Burning Man who only wish for outside enforcement to leave unless they are called upon if the local rangers can’t handle the issue. Which actually makes a lot of sense for the long standing festival with no real accounts of violence or previous needs for such heavy policing.

“RIOT is a quiet organization of people who feel that there are certain issues at Burning Man that need to be addressed . . . Our demands are simple: We want law enforcement excluded . . . People at Burning Man have each other to rely on, and they have Black Rock Rangers. We don’t need outside law enforcement, and we can call them if we do . . . It’s all about money in the end. We could find a different way to pay the powers that be, though. A way that doesn’t involve filling our city with police officers from other cities when there’s no emergency . . . If the cops would leave their badges and guns at home like everyone else in BRC, we’d welcome them just like we welcome anyone else. We’d even build them a Donut Camp!”

RIOT plans for all workers who are not critical to public safety to strike on the Friday of the festival. “We call on all our sisters and brothers to spread the word and honor the strike. Friday at dusk, without violence, we take our city back!”

There will probably be a pretty naff response from government officials who look to “protect the safety” of it’s own citizens.

Watch a live stream of Burning Man below with what looks to be some already epic things happening!

Live streaming video by Ustream

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