Burning Man has been monitored by the FBI for the past 5 years
As if Burning Man hasn’t dealt with enough before their 29th annual gathering like issues of bug infestation, the death of a playa worker and a possible move due to new tax laws, new FBI documents obtained by MuckRock have been released detailing the government agency’s tracking of “burner” activities on the playa for the past five years. After a 2012 Freedom of Information Act request from Inkoo Kang, a 16-page file was presented that highlights some of the agency’s biggest focuses such as “the use of illegal drugs by participants” and “crowd control issues.”
Even more fascinating are the numerous redactions in the file, possibly suggesting the FBI has undercover agents posing as “burners” – otherwise known in the documents as “sworn officers” – and even “test case” scenarios for suspicion of “terrorist activities and intelligence collection.” Check out the documents in full here.
Burning Man takes place in Black Rock Desert in Nevada on August 30 to September 7.
Via: MuckRock
Categories: News