Burning Man to resist government sanctioned searches of all attendees

Following a government mandate that threatened the future of Burning Man, the event has decided to fight at least part of the new regulations.   

In June, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management rejected Burning Man’s appeal to increase capacity from 80,000 to 100,000 people as part of a draft environmental impact statement — issued this April — which mandated that attendees be screened for “weapons and drugs in all vehicles” by a local government-approved private security firm, who would also search “participants, vendors, contractors, staff, and volunteers at all points of entry" to the site. 

This week, organizers said they won’t fight the attendance cap, allowing Burning Man to remain at Black Rock City in Nevada for another decade. However, they do plan on resisting the government’s efforts to search attendees.  

“We’ve submitted our serious concerns to the BLM about the significant constitutional, civil rights, environmental, cultural and operational impacts of this proposal,” organizers said about searches. 

Organizers have also stated that there will be “no need for impenetrable physical barriers around Black Rock City,” which were also proposed earlier this year. 

And more good news — Burning Man is going ahead this year, taking place from m August 25th to September 2nd.