Rogue Burning Man Attendees Will Shit in Desert
Covid cannot stop them from potentially also getting dysentery
Burning Man, which was cancelled last year, is cancelled again this year, due to surging cases of the Delta variant. But Burners don’t take coastal groupthink lying down; that’s why lots of them aren’t vaccinated. It’s also why a non-zero contingent is planning a shadow Burning Man called “RenegadeBurn” or “Rogue Burn,” “Renegade Man,” “Free Burn,” or “Plan B.” Choosing one name would be censoring the rest. Here’s SFist:
[A] map from the informal group Black Rock Desert Camps indicates about 350 different camps are planning to attend. A private Facebook group called Black Rock Plan B has nearly 11,000 members, and several posts daily detailing plans, asking for advice, or just posting memes. A smaller, public group called Free Playa Burners of Black Rock Desert NV operates similarly, and their posts can be viewed publicly. Over on Reddit, something called RenegadeBurn has about 1,500 members planning their “Burn,” and the 55,000-member BurningMan Reddit group is seeing frequent posts with Renegade Burn planning, and there are several smaller social media groups with names like Free Burn, Renegade Man, and Rogue Burn.
Black Rock Desert, where the annual festival is typically held, is open to visitors all summer long. But the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the area, has denied “Special Recreation Permits” for the informal festival — and they are required for these kinds of large group events. Critically: without an SPR, the attendees cannot expect porta-potties. They can bring their own johns, but there won’t be anyone coming to pick up or drain their shit. They’ll have to haul that away themselves. Per BLM:
No Commercial/Vending SRPs will be authorized/issued. Camps must be self-sufficient. No deliveries, or services will be authorized. This includes porta-potties. Camps can get their own toilets, off of public land, and bring them out themselves, then return them. This must all be done by someone in your camp. No pumping services will be authorized.
In another world, they might burn it — but fires aren’t allowed. There’s also nowhere to wash your hands. :)
