Burning Man officials say they kicked out a Christian-themed camp for repeatedly filming festivalgoers without consent, and some are speculating the group may have engineered the controversy to claim religious discrimination.
A camp of Christian missionaries was escorted out of Burning Man by law enforcement Tuesday night after repeated warnings over alleged violations of the event’s privacy and consent rules, prompting its organizers to accuse the festival of religious discrimination and violating its principle of “radical inclusion.”
As SFGate reports, a camp called “Shift the Atmosphere” said it was being targeted because its members were openly preaching Christianity. But witnesses described encounters in which campers aggressively approached adults and children about accepting Jesus, while Burning Man officials said the group continued filming and engaging with participants without obtaining the required consent.
Burning Man spokesperson Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley said the camp had been given multiple warnings and opportunities to change its behavior before organizers took action.
“Burning Man takes participants’ right to privacy seriously,” Debucquoy-Dodley said. “Seeking permission and consent before filming or engaging other participants in Black Rock City is a requirement and responsibility for anyone at the event.”
John Hinerman, a member of the Shift the Atmosphere, disputed the allegations on social media, saying members had permission from everyone they filmed and accusing Burning Man of discriminating against the group because of its faith. He also claimed the camp had helped more than 600 people “give their lives to Jesus,” with baptisms conducted on the playa.
The camp was located across from Kidsville, where hundreds of families with children are staying, according to SFGate. Members had reportedly been offering coffee and matcha before engaging visitors in conversations about Christianity. More than 1,000 children are attending this year’s Burning Man.
One 12-year-old attendee said he was offered coffee and matcha, but was first required to listen to prayers and given a cartoon pamphlet promoting Christianity. Other attendees reportedly described being asked directly whether they were ready to submit their lives to Jesus Christ.
Burner Christopher Pietsch explained on social media that Shift the Atmosphere’s camp was located in Hushville, a quieter area of Burning Man where generators and amplified music are prohibited, but the group was blasting extremely loud Christian EDM music for extended hours from the camp.
Pietsch said attempts to reach a compromise over the camp’s activities had failed, speculating that the group may have been deliberately trying to create a confrontation.
SFGate reports that the camp was given three hours to dismantle its structures and leave. Pietsch’s footage from the camp showed law enforcement presence as members packed up after dark, with strong winds complicating the teardown. Nearby campers said the group left behind significant amounts of equipment, potentially violating Burning Man’s “leave no trace” requirement.
Longtime Burners told USA Today they could not recall an entire camp being removed during the event prior to the incident, saying organizers typically eject individual participants, or they bar them from returning in subsequent years.
“Ironic that at an event that includes pagans, anarchists and a camp called the Orgy Dome, that a camp of evangelical Christians turned out to be the troublemakers,” concludes Pietsch.
Related: Burning Man Attendees Are Still Getting Older and Whiter
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