The road to Burning Man, Nevada’s iconic festival, was blocked by environmental advocates from the Seven Circles group. Their one-hour blockade on August 28 aimed to spotlight climate change and challenge the event’s growing commercialization. Seven Circles activists parked a 28-foot trailer across the only road leading to Black Rock Desert, bearing messages like “End Capitalism Now” and “Unite, Burners!” The Nevada Rangers eventually intervened, dispersing the blockade but leaving an indelible impact.
The activist group aimed to expose capitalism’s failures in tackling climate change and criticize Burning Man’s shift towards a more commercialized ethos. Seven Circles is calling for eco-friendly changes at the event, including bans on private jets, single-use plastics, and unrestricted generator use. Frustrated festivalgoers were captured on video trying to navigate around the obstruction, with some criticizing the activists for choosing Native American land and extreme desert conditions for their protest, raising health concerns.
Emily Collins, co-founder of “Rave Revolution,” argued that Burning Man’s original anti-capitalist spirit should be reinvigorated to take on a stronger political role. Mun Chong, a member of Extinction Rebellion, urged immediate, impactful change, specifically targeting the use of private jets at the festival. This year’s Burning Man had its own challenges, including a one-day delay due to Tropical Storm Hilary. Last year, an 80,000-person traffic jam marked the event’s conclusion.
The Seven Circles blockade has cast a spotlight on urgent debates surrounding climate change and ethical responsibility, pointing to the need for immediate action in a world facing environmental and social crises.
Watch some footage here.
