BLACK ROCK CITY, Nevada — Burning Man officials said they evicted a Christian-themed camp from the annual event here in the Nevada desert after the group repeatedly ignored rules about consent and photography.
Organizers of the “Shift the Atmosphere” complained on social media that they were targeted over their expressions of faith, which included preaching and on-site baptisms. But witnesses told the Reno Gazette-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, the group used aggressive tactics on both adults and children to share the gospel of Jesus.
In a statement, Burning Man officials said camp organizers were repeatedly warned to change their behavior. While the group complained online that their eviction violated Burning Man’s principle of “radical inclusivity,” Burning Man officials said the group violated another core tenet: privacy.
As a private, ticketed event, Burning Man’s annual Black Rock City gathering is subject to strict privacy rules set by the organization. Those restrictions, which also apply to the media, include limiting photography and video, typically by requiring prior consent of anyone being filmed.
Longtime Burning Man attendees said they’d never seen an entire camp evicted during the event. Instead, specific attendees are usually removed, or camps not allowed back the next year.
“Burning Man takes participants’ right to privacy seriously. Seeking permission and consent before filming or engaging other participants in Black Rock City is a requirement and responsibility for anyone at the event,” Burning Man officials said in a Sept. 3 statement. “This camp received multiple warnings and opportunities to correct their behavior, yet continued to violate our policies and were therefore evicted.”
Videos, confirmed by witnesses, showed a heavy law enforcement presence at the camp as participants dismantled tents and other structures at night in high winds. By daylight on Wednesday, Sept. 2, the camp was gone, leaving a blank space in the middle of the sprawling Burning Man encampment.
In a series of video statements posted online, camp organizer Calvin Hinerman said volunteer Black Rock Rangers and federal law enforcement forced the camp to pack up in the middle of the night. Witnesses said one of the tents blew into the road late at night, posing a safety hazard.
“We are being Kicked out of BURNING MAN for having faith in JESUS!?! So much for ‘radical inclusion,'” Hinerman posted. In other videos, Hinerman and other camp attendees insisted they had permission from everyone they filmed.
The camp was set up across the street from Kidsville, a temporary Burning Man home to hundreds of children and their families. More than 1,000 children are attending this year’s event.
A portion of Burning Man’s Black Rock City sits empty on Sept. 2, 2026, after being vacated by Christian-themed camp “Shift the Atmosphere.” The camp was evicted after a series of confrontations with fellow attendees about how members were sharing the gospel of Jesus.
In video posts leading up to the Aug. 30 official start of Burning Man, an event focused on community, free expression and the arts that draws tens of thousands of people, Hinerman showed off the camp’s video wall and promised they would be playing Christian electronic dance music.
“What’s going to happen is these people are going to come in and they’re going to get hit with the glory of God,” he said. “The presence of God is going to come upon them.”
Hinerman later condemned Burning Man for allowing naked people to walk around in front of children.
Witnesses told the Reno Gazette-Journal the camp attracted attendees by offering coffee and matcha, and then tried to get people to accept Jesus as their savior. While some attendees said they brushed off the evangelizing, others said it felt aggressive for the otherwise almost-anything-goes event. While “radical inclusion” is part of the event’s ethos, so is gifting without expectation or obligation.
Burning Man officials did not immediately comment on whether the camp’s eviction was accompanied by trespassing charges.
This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Burning Man evicts Christian camp for breaking privacy rules
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