Nevada Rangers Plow Through Burner Blockade, Arrest Climate Activists

This story has been updated with a press release from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Rangers. (see below)

Anti-capitalist, environmental activists found themselves in handcuffs after Nevada rangers, with guns drawn, arrested them for “trespassing on tribal land” after the group caused a traffic jam spanning several miles on a major thoroughfare into the Burning Man festival located in Black Rock City in Northern Nevada.

Video shows the rangers plowing through their blockade after giving them a 30-second warning to “get off the fucking road.” With guns drawn, the activists were then told to “get on the ground” and arrested. During the arrests, one woman said through tears, “We are nonviolent. We are environmental protestors.”

“Drugs and Rave” journalist for The Guardian Michelle Lhooq–who was on the scene—tweeted that the rangers told her they had received an emergency 911 call saying that someone in the crowd was going to start shooting at the activists.

Burning Man climate protestors have now been arrested.

Nevada ranger told me they received a 911 call saying that someone in the crowd was going to shoot the activists… And this was somehow their reason for charging in, guns blazing? pic.twitter.com/pT60boYN4g

— michelle lh࿊࿊q (@MichelleLhooq) August 28, 2023

The activists from Seven Circles and Extinction Rebellion blocked the rural state highway with a trailer displaying banners reading, “Burners of the World, Unite!,” “Abolish Capitalism” and  “General Strike for Climate.”

According to reports, the blockade was intended to “to draw attention to capitalism’s inability to address climate and ecological breakdown” and to protest the “commodification” of Burning Man.

The group wants Burning Man to adopt a more political stance concerning climate change, encouraging participants to take part in protests and banning private jets, single-use plastics, unnecessary propane burning and unlimited generator use during the nine-day annual event.

Update:

Welcome to Nevada.

You’re under arrest. https://t.co/9WZWwtTqRY

— Nevada Globe (@NevadaGlobe) August 29, 2023