The Big Glaring Problem With Climate Activists’ Burning Man Blockade

Burning Man has turned into the Fyre Festival after a natural disaster has forced festival-goers to shelter-in-place. Some have attempted to leave the event, resulting in cars being stuck in the mud.

One of the more ironic parts of this disaster is that attendees were actually delayed in their arrival at the site by climate protestors. The activists had set up a blockade to protest the use of private jets and single-use plastics, all of which make Burning Man a massive pollution event. (You know your event is bad when the bonfire is the least polluting part of it.)

However, there is a bit of missing context to this narrative.

Locals from the Paiute tribe also use State Route 447 to travel on their land. One Native woman who lives on the reservation fought the protestors, reminding them that they were on Native land and telling them that they should “go back to where they came from.” Rangers from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe were the ones who ultimately drove through the blockade and arrested protestors at gunpoint.

Some people are saying this is a clear-cut case of police brutality. However, this was also a display of how whitewashing environmentalist movements can hurt the people who are most affected by pollution and climate change. Remember, the native communities are also having to deal with these natural disasters. The Paiute Tribe of Oregon is still digging out Jonesboro Ranch after it was buried in a June mudslide, and only recently got federal funds to help them rebuild.

Another important thing to remember is that tribal lands are meant to be countries within the United States; they have their own police force, government, and laws, all of which is vital to maintaining tribal sovereignty and keeping Native communities and cultures alive. The protestors basically went to another nation’s land and took over their highway to protest millionaires and billionaires who don’t actually live on the land. Yes, climate change and emissions affect us all, but there is something expressly scummy about coming onto Native people’s land without their permission and not involving them in the protest.

The Ranger who pulled out his weapon is reportedly under review, which is certainly for the best. But the climate protestors should think about the consequences of their protests, not just for how they affect the groups they are against, but also for all affected peoples.

More and more frequently, climate protestors are getting attention for the wrong reasons; throwing cans of soup at artwork may technically be a protest, but it’s not direct action like being arrested for delaying the expansion of a coal mine. Many have also pointed out that in the case of Burning Man, causing traffic arguably created more pollution, in addition to putting strain on the local community. It seems that many protesters prioritize being heard over actually making a difference. If we are going to fight climate change, activism cannot exclude local populations or prioritize making itself heard over creating actual change.