Burning Man stage White Ocean sabotaged by 'hooligans' in attack on 'parasite class'

Updated

An exclusive camp at Nevada's Burning Man festival has been raided by angry festival-goers who accused the venue of betraying the "inclusive" principles of radical self-reliance the festival was founded on.

In a post on its Facebook page, the White Ocean Camp said their venue was raided by "hooligans" who cut power cords, destroyed property and "glued our trailer doors shut".

"This year has been quite the challenge for our camp," the Facebook post said.

"We have felt like we've been sabotaged from every angle, but last night's chain of events, while we were out enjoying our beautiful home, was an absolute and definitive confirmation that some feel we are not deserving of Burning Man."

According to local media, Pershing Country sheriff's office has been called in to investigate the raid, which took place during a "white party" — where festival-goers dress in white while enjoying international headline DJ acts.

The reaction to the raid has been mixed, with many suggesting the White Ocean venue, which was started by Timur Sardarov — the son of a Russian oil magnate — was targeted for being part of the "parasite class".

"I remember before the wealthy Silicone (sic) Valley snobs took over the Black Rock Desert with all their commercialism the Burning Man was a free event," one Facebook user wrote on the White Ocean page.

"The whole Burning Man event should be burned to the ground it is so elitist and exclusionary."

Attack goes against 'every principle' of event

Burning Man festival started as a guerilla performance in the late 80s when two friends burnt a 2.5-metre-high wooden effigy on a beach in San Francisco, drawing the interest of local bohemians who joined in on the "authentic" art performance.

Despite more than 67,000 people passing through the gates in 2015, organisers say they have tried to stay true to the festival's "bohemian" principles, with festival-goers pitching in to build the camps, and self-sufficiency and "gifting" being relied on over money.

But in recent years, venues like White Ocean have offered "plug and play" luxury camps set up by paid teams and frequented by global elites who parachute into the festival, while regular festival-goers complain of being turned away from similar venues by bouncers.

Responding to the criticism of being an elitist venue, White Ocean claim to "feed hundreds of non white ocean (sic) burners a day".

"We came here to unite people through music and love. We came here to inspire and we came here to live and let live," the Facebook post read.

Many have condemned the attack, offering their support and condolences to the venue's owners.

"That should never happen at Burning Man," Jim Porto wrote on White Ocean's Facebook page.

"It goes against every principle of the event, regardless if some people like White Ocean and some don't."

Because of the increasing popularity of the event, tickets sell out in minutes and are often resold for upwards of $1,000.

Topics: carnivals-and-festivals, music, arts-and-entertainment, united-states

First posted