Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio jailed for 22 years for Capitol riot - BBC

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By Mike Wendling

BBC News, Washington

The Proud Boys' former leader has been jailed for 22 years for orchestrating the US Capitol riot, the longest sentence so far for a ringleader of the raid on the seat of American democracy.

Henry "Enrique" Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy, a US Civil War-era charge, and other counts in May.

Tarrio, 39, was not in Washington during the riot, but helped organise the far-right group's involvement.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested on Capitol riot charges.

Before he learned his fate on Tuesday, an emotional Tarrio apologised to police and residents of Washington DC for his role in the 6 January 2021 riot, when supporters of then-US President Donald Trump stormed the congressional building as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's election victory.

"I am extremely ashamed and disappointed that they were caused grief and suffering," he told Washington's federal courthouse. "I will have to live with that shame for the rest of my life."

Tarrio, wearing an orange jail uniform, added: "I was my own worst enemy.

"My hubris convinced me that I was a victim and targeted unfairly."

Acknowledging that Mr Trump had lost the November 2020 presidential election, Tarrio said: "I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal.

"I didn't think it was even possible to change the results of the election."

"Please show me mercy," Tarrio asked the judge. "I ask you that you not take my 40s from me."

At one point earlier, he could be seen wiping tears from his eyes as his mother asked the judge for leniency.

• Key moments from inside court
• Proud Boys have a new target
• The Capitol rioters who are sorry, not sorry

Tarrio was national chairman of the Proud Boys. Founded in New York City in 2016, members of the far-right group have described themselves as an all-male drinking club.

They regarded themselves as Mr Trump's foot soldiers and were often involved in street clashes with far-left anti-fascist activists.

Tarrio's lawyer argued in court on Tuesday that his client was a "keyboard ninja" and "misguided patriot" who tended to "talk trash", but had no intention of overthrowing the government.

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However, US District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump nominee, noted that Tarrio had on many previous occasions expressed no remorse for his actions.

"Seditious conspiracy is a serious offence," said Judge Kelly. "Mr Tarrio was the ultimate leader of that conspiracy."

Tarrio was also found guilty in May of obstruction and conspiracy charges, civil disorder and destruction of government property.

Prosecutors had called his actions "a calculated act of terrorism", meriting a sentence of 33 years in prison. The defence wanted no more than 15 years.

Tarrio stood silently as the judge handed down the penalty. As he left court, Tarrio waved to his family members in the public gallery and flashed a peace sign.

His lawyers said he plans to appeal.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Tarrio and other Proud Boys had posted threatening messages online, warning of violence and unrest if Mr Trump left office.

He was stopped by police two days before the US Capitol riot as he entered Washington DC.

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Tarrio, who has described himself as Afro-Cuban, was arrested on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner that had been taken from an African-American church in the city about three weeks earlier.

He was also found with a high-capacity ammunition magazine, which is illegal under the city's gun laws. He was released on bail and ordered to leave the national capital.

On the day of the riot, he was in Baltimore.

As Trump supporters laid siege to the congressional complex, Tarrio posted online that he was "enjoying the show".

"Do what must be done," he wrote, urging on the rioters.

Tuesday's was the last in a series of sentencing hearings for the ringleaders of the US Capitol riot.

Until now, the longest sentences were the 18-year terms handed down last week to another Proud Boy, Ethan Nordean, and in May to Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia.

Three other Proud Boys received prison sentences last week for their roles in the Capitol riot.

Former US Marines Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl received 10 and 15 years, respectively.

Joe Biggs, a US Army veteran, got 17 years.

Mr Trump has promised to pardon most or all of the rioters if he's re-elected president in 2024.

The charges against US Capitol rioters have varied - from relatively minor crimes like entering a restricted area, to destruction of government property, assault and conspiracy. Around 200 have pleaded guilty to felony charges.

The investigation is still ongoing - the FBI is still trying to locate 14 rioters captured on video assaulting police officers or members of the media.

Related Topics

• Washington DC
• US Capitol riots
• United States

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2023-09-05 23:06:35Z
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Burning Man attendees make mass exodus after heavy rain stranded thousands: updates - The Independent

Burning Man festival-goer shows grim conditions after flooding chaos

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More chaos has unfolded at the Burning Man festival as revellers clashed during the exodus from the Nevada desert.

Attendees finally began leaving the city at Black Rock City on Monday afternoon after severe flooding and muddy conditions left thousands stranded over the weekend.

During the mass exodus, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said that attendees “lashed out” at each other as they faced an eight-hour wait to leave.

“As usually happens in what Burners refer to as the ‘default world’ people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The man who died during the festival was also identified as 32-year-old Leon Reece. The exact cause and manner of Reece’s death are still pending but the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday that drug intoxication was suspected.

Meanwhile, officials continue to field conspiracies including a debunked theory that the festival was hit with an Ebola outbreak.

The annual burning of the man went ahead on Monday evening, after being delayed by the weather.

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Watch: Burning Man festival-goer shows grim conditions after flooding chaos

Burning Man festival-goer shows grim conditions after flooding chaos

Ariana Baio6 September 2023 01:00

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What’s it really like to survive nine days in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert?

In the dark hours of the morning, deep in the open desert, long-time “Burner” Stewie sits with his back to a flimsy orange plastic fence. Ski goggles perched on his head despite the lingering dust storm, he turns an embroidered badge over and over in his fingers. Bearing a map of where we are, it reads “EDGE OF THE KNOWN WORLD”.

Read more from Claire Dodd here.

Ariana Baio6 September 2023 00:00

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ICYMI: Sheriff’s office names man who died at Burning Man

Authorities on Monday revealed the identity of the man who died at the Burning Man festival as thousands of attendees began their exodus from the northern Nevada desert following heavy rains.

The Pershing County sheriff’s office identified the man as 32-year-old Leon Reece.

Authorities received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at the ephemeral Black Rock City, sheriff Jerry Allen.

The man was being administered CPR by medical personnel at the festival as flooding on the playa due to heavy rains delayed the arrival of deputies.

By the time the deputies arrived, Reece was pronounced dead by the festival doctor, Sheriff Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 23:00

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Burning Man 2023 was an undeniable disaster. But these conspiracy theories aren’t part of it

As 70,000 Burning Man festivalgoers were braving the elements, rumours of an Ebola outbreak reportedly sent panic through the desert city. It was yet another wild conspiracy theory created by bad actors on Elon Musk’s X.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 22:00

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In Photos: Burners leave this year’s festival

People wait in line for a bus to leave the Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA, 04 September 2023

Vehicles are seen departing the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 21:00

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Viral country star Oliver Anthony among those ‘trapped’ at Burning Man amid flooding chaos

Oliver Anthony, the country artist behind the viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond”, is apparently among those stranded at Burning Man festival in Nevada.

Tom Murray reports:

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 20:30

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Traffic moving 'smoothly’ out of Black Rock Desert

As of Tuesday morning Pacific Time, traffic out of the Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man attendees are leaving the nine-day festival, traffic is moving “smoothly”

Exodus time was approximately two to three hours at 10am PT.

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 20:00

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Diplo posts review of Burning Man weekend

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 19:00

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Nevada sheriff bats away wild conspiracy theories about Burning Man

A local sheriff in Nevada has been forced to bat away wild conspiracy theories that continue to spread online about Burning Man.

A wave of misinformation spread across Black Rock City and online on X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok, as the site turned into a washout over the weekend.

One of the biggest false rumours was that there had been an Ebola outbreak at the festival, with some conspirators claiming there had been multiple deaths from the disease.

Pershing County Sherriff Jerry Allen pushed back at this rumour in a statement about the event on Monday.

“In consultation with the Bureau of Land Management and the Burning Man Project, there is no validity to any reports regarding an Ebola outbreak, or any other disease,” he said.

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 18:00

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Watch: Burning Man attendees begin five mile exodus from desert site after flooded festival finishes

Burning Man attendees leave site after flooded festival finishes

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 17:00

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2023-09-06 00:00:16Z
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Ukraine war turns the tables as Russia seeks help from North Korea - The Guardian

After years of backing UN sanctions targeting North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, Russia is now reaching out to its neighbour for help. The war in Ukraine has forced the Kremlin to reassess its relationship with Pyongyang as it seeks to secure weapons to replace its own depleted stocks.

A possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un later this month in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok would add geopolitical substance to the symbolic meeting of minds that has unfolded between the leaders of the pariah states over 18 months of fighting in Ukraine.

With Russia quickly using up its munitions, Putin is expected to build on recent high-level diplomatic exchanges, including a visit to the North by his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, to secure North Korean artillery shells and antitank missiles.

In return, North Korea is hoping to receive valuable foreign currency to continue funding its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles – its trump card in its quest to secure concessions, and recognition as a legitimate nuclear state, from the US.

Closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang extend beyond bartering for bullets, however. Russia’s growing isolation has sent it in a new, worrying direction as it seeks to build a united front against a “hostile” west that includes China and now, it seems, North Korea and its million-strong army. As news emerged of Kim’s possible trip to Vladivostok, media reported that the North could take part in joint naval drills with Russia and China.

“Why not, these are our neighbours,” Shoigu said this week when asked about the exercises, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. “There’s an old Russian saying: you don’t choose your neighbours and it’s better to live with your neighbours in peace and harmony.”

Russia’s decision to turn to North Korea for weaponry is a sign of rapidly shifting dynamics in the countries’ relations since Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, founded the North in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

North Korea later received support from Beijing and Moscow during the 1950-53 Korean war, and was heavily reliant on Soviet aid for decades. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s contributed to a deadly famine in the North in which as many as three million people died.

In the years after Kim Jong-un came to power following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in late 2011, both Moscow and Beijing supported UN sanctions designed to force the North Korean leader into abandoning his ballistic missile and nuclear programmes.

It was only after the North conducted its last nuclear test, in 2017, that Kim set about mending ties, meeting Putin for the first time in 2019, as hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough on nuclear weapons turned to resignation after Kim and Donald Trump failed to settle their differences over sanctions relief.

In a message to Putin to mark Russia’s national day in June this year, Kim pledged his regime’s “full support” for the invasion of Ukraine, and vowed to “hold hands” with the Russian leader in their common aim to build “a powerful country”. The North is also one of only two UN member states, in addition to Russia, to have recognised the independence of Russian-claimed Ukrainian regions.

“Moscow’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine has ushered in a new geopolitical reality in which the Kremlin and (North Korea) may become increasingly close, perhaps even to the point of resurrecting the quasi-alliance relationship that had existed during the cold war,” Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, wrote in a report for 38 North.

If the meeting takes place, Putin could find himself confronted by a tough negotiator, according to John Everard, Britain’s ambassador to North Korea from 2006 to 2008. Pyongyang knows that Moscow is desperate for munitions, Everard told the BBC, adding that he expected North Korea to demand an “eye-wateringly high” price.

The last time Kim’s armoured train rolled into Vladivostok four years ago, he was welcomed with a traditional offering of salt and bread. But Putin’s troubled war in Ukraine means that on his next visit, Kim will be the one bearing gifts.

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2023-09-05 18:21:00Z
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Burning Man exodus begins after flooding chaos as police name dead festival-goer - The Independent

Burning Man festival-goer shows grim conditions after flooding chaos

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Burning Man attendees were permitted to begin exodus on Monday afternoon after severe flooding left thousands stuck on site.

After heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary caused the typically dry Nevada ground to turn into a slippery mud pit, organisers for the festival said people can begin leaving and the annual burning of the man will occur Monday evening – though it is still weather-dependent.

Due to the rain, the entrance to the festival was closed and revelers were urged to conserve water, food and fuel until the ground began to dry up.

Meanwhile, authorities have identified the reveler who died at the festival as 32-year-old Leon Reece.

The Pershing County sheriff’s office said it had received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at Black Rock City.

Due to the heavy rain on the playa, access to the area was delayed and by the time deputies arrived, the man was pronounced dead, sheriff Jerry Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Authorities also debunked conspiracy theories online, including false claims of an Ebola outbreak.

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Dead Burning Man reveler identified

Authorities in Nevada have identified the Burning Man reveler who died as 32-year-old Leon Reece.

The Pershing County sheriff’s office on Monday said it had received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at Black Rock City.

The medical personnel at the festival were administering CPR to the man, sheriff Jerry Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Due to the heavy rain on the playa, access to the area was delayed and by the time deputies arrived, the man was pronounced dead by the festival doctor.

Deputies conducted an investigation in the area of the playa where he was found. However, after interviewing witnesses and medical responders, no immediate cause of death was determined.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 04:39

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Sheriff’s office names man who died at Burning Man

Authorities on Monday revealed the identity of the man who died at the Burning Man festival as thousands of attendees began their exodus from the northern Nevada desert following heavy rains.

The Pershing County sheriff’s office identified the man as 32-year-old Leon Reece.

Authorities received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at the ephemeral Black Rock City, sheriff Jerry Allen.

More here.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 09:30

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Climate activists cause miles of traffic chaos by blocking route to Burning Man

Burning Man traffic was brought to a recent standstill by a group of anti-capitalist climate change activists who blocked the main road to the festival.

On Sunday, nearly half a dozen protestors from the climate activist group Seven Circles stood in the middle of the road used to enter the desert venue. Others chained themselves to a trailer parked on the road.

Inga Parkel reports:

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 09:00

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Burning Man revellers built mud sculptures and waded through the dirt as partying continued despite chaos leaving thousands stranded at the Nevada desert festival after severe flooding.

Revellers were left to trudge through mud, many barefoot or wearing plastic bags on their feet, after being urged to shelter in place and conserve food, water and other supplies over the weekend.

Burning Man revellers build mud sculptures as thousands stranded after floods

Burning Man revellers built mud sculptures and waded through the dirt as partying continued despite chaos leaving thousands stranded at the Nevada desert festival after severe flooding. One person has died during the event, but local law enforcement are yet to identify the individual and reveal the suspected cause of death. Tens of thousands of attendees remain stranded at the site in the Black Rock desert after the extreme weather. Revellers were left to trudge through mud, many barefoot or wearing plastic bags on their feet, after being urged to shelter in place and conserve food, water and other supplies over the weekend.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 08:30

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Elon Musk calls Burning Man ‘best art on Earth’

Elon Musk offered lofty praise to the Burning Man festival – after this year’s event descended into disaster with one person dead and thousands left stranded in the Nevada desert.

“Burning Man is unique in the world,” Mr Musk wrote on his platform X on Sunday. “Hard to describe how incredible it is for those who have never been. Best art on Earth.”

The post drew scrutiny for two reasons. First off, it came as the desert festival is suffering from utter chaos on all sides — torrential floods caused by Tropical Storm Hilary, false claims of an Ebola outbreak, tens of thousands of stranded attendees, and even a death caused by reasons “unrelated to the weather.”

On top of this mess, Mr Musk seemed to be commenting on a video from Paris Fashion Week in 2022 — not Burning Man.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 08:00

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Three-eyed ‘dinosaur shrimp’ are waking up in the Nevada desert

Three-eyed “dinosaur shrimp” are stirring in the Nevada desert after flooding upended the Burning Man festival.

Triops and fairy shrimp are small crustaceans that can survive years lying dormant in drought conditions. They live in the ground in eggs until weather conditions such as floods can bring them to the surface, says IFL Science.

Nicknamed “dinosaur shrimp”, Triops are relatives of the oldest living creatures, Triops cancriformis, have two main eyes and a pit organ “third eye” that enables insects to detect changes in light and infrared waves.

Fairy shrimp have also resurfaced to join the mud party at Burning Man. Otherwise known as sea monkeys, they are translucent and are very good at withstanding salty environments.

More here.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 07:30

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Black Rock City Municipal Airport opens

Officials with Burning Man said the Black Rock City Municipal Airport (BRC) would open at noon on Monday and flights would begin departing midday.

“Burner Express Air (BxA) operations start 2pm,” Burning Man Traffic said in a tweet. “Shuttle avail from bus depot to the airport.”

The flights are scheduled to go to Reno, Nevada.

Meanwhile, flights to Burbank and Oakland, California would depart on Tuesday.

Ariana Baio5 September 2023 07:00

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Satellite image shows overview of traffic leaving Burning Man festival

An overview of traffic leaving the Burning Man festival on Monday

An overview of traffic leaving the Burning Man festival on Monday

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 06:30

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Burning Man attendees reveal how they’re dealing with festival

This year’s Burning Man festival was interrupted by torrential rains that caused the typically dry grounds to turn into a massive mud pit, but that didn’t stop attendees from enjoying their time in the Las Vegas desert.

Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in Black Rock City, a temporary community in the middle of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, where they build and celebrate art and self-expression.

Campers, vans, cars, tents and other forms of temporary housing pop up in the middle of the desert as attendees exchange gifts and create art for nine days which culminates in the annual burning of an effigy shaped like a man.

Ariana Baio has more.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 06:00

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‘The Man’ burned at the Burning Man festival

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 September 2023 05:51

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2023-09-05 07:30:27Z
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Kim Jong Un 'to meet Putin' and broker weapons sales for Ukraine war - Euronews

Any meeting could take place in the Pacific city of Vladivostock, which is relatively close to North Korea, and would come after Russia's minister of defence visited Pyongyang in the summer for talks with Kim.

North Korean leader could soon visit Russia to meet Vladimir Putin and sell him weapons to use in the war in Ukraine. 

A US official told journalists that they expect Kim to make the trip within the month, and although there's no information yet where or when a meeting could take place the Pacific port city of Vladivostock would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. 

America's National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang recently and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.

Watson said, “We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia.”

She added that the US is urging North Korea "to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia.”

Shoigu said Monday that the two countries may hold joint war games.

The New York Times first reported that Kim planned to meet with Putin in Russia this month.

The White House said last week that it had intelligence indicating that Putin and Kim swapped letters following Shoigu’s visit. 

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the letters were “more at the surface level” but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing.

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2023-09-05 05:22:41Z
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Three-eyed 'dinosaur shrimp' are waking up in the desert after Burning Man washout - The Independent

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Three-eyed “dinosaur shrimp” are stirring in the Nevada desert after flooding upended the Burning Man festival.

Triops and fairy shrimp are small crustaceans that can survive years lying dormant in drought conditions. They live in the ground in eggs until weather conditions such as floods can bring them to the surface, says IFL Science.

Nicknamed “dinosaur shrimp”, Triops are relatives of the oldest living creatures, Triops cancriformis, have two main eyes and a pit organ “third eye” that enables insects to detect changes in light and infrared waves.

Fairy shrimp have also resurfaced to join the mud party at Burning Man. Otherwise known as sea monkeys, they are translucent and are very good at withstanding salty environments.

Both of these crustaceans have surfaced due to the two to three months’ worth of rain that has poured down over the Burning Man festival over the weekend. Around 70,000 people were stranded on the playa as the desert’s arid floor turned into thick clay-like mud. Vehicles were unable to move through the churned-up mud, which forced the festival organisers to close the roads until the ground dries up.

The festival is located on Black Rock Playa in the Nevada desert, which is a dried-up lakebed home to lots of extremophiles laying dormant.

The crustaceans will live for weeks or months and will die when the water dries up from the desert ground again.

They will lay eggs within a week and will lay dormant until the next wave of extreme rain floods the playa.

The flooding in Nevada Desert has meant over 70,000 festivalgoers are wading through mud

(Trevor Hughes/USA Today)

One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) commented: “So not only will the people at Burning Man have to deal with [false claims of] ebola and acidic mud, when the playa at black rock gets wet these fairy shrimp hatch.”

Burning Man festival is ending on a somewhat disastrous note this year. One man has been found dead, according to authorities, not related to the weather extremities. A heavy downpour and flooding have left 70,000 people stranded in thick mud and being told to conserve their food by organisers. Finally, false claims of an Ebola outbreak circled the camp had to be debunked. Despite all this, organisers are pushing on with their finale to burn their effigy, as is tradition every year.

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2023-09-04 19:25:11Z
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New details released about Burning Man death as organisers push on with finale – live - The Independent

Thousands stranded at Burning Man Festival after heavy rain

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New details have been released about the death of a man at the Burning Man festival after around 70,000 attendees were trapped on the site in the midst of an unexpected storm.

Burning Man descended into chaos over the weekend as severe flooding left thousands stuck on site, the entrance was closed and revellers were urged to conserve water, food and fuel.

Officials revealed on Saturday that one person had died at the Nevada desert festival.

On Sunday, Burning Man Communications said in a statement that the death was “unrelated to the weather”. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the death.

The drama has led to spread of rampant – and debunked – conspiracy theories online including false claims of an Ebola outbreak.

Meanwhile, Burning Man said that the site is expected to open on Monday morning, though obviously weather-dependant.

The festival is also ploughing on with plans to burn its iconic effigy later today after it was postponed due to the severe rain and flooding.

“The Man burn will not happen tonight, Sunday, it is now scheduled for Monday 9/4, at 9pm,” the festival said in an update on Sunday evening.

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TikTok video shows ‘Burners’ enjoying the festival, despite the mud

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 20:00

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Elon Musk calls Burning Man ‘best art on Earth’ amid chaos that saw thousands stranded and one dead

Elon Musk offered lofty praise to the Burning Man festival - after this year’s event descended into disaster with one person dead and thousands left stranded in the Nevada desert after intense floods.

“Burning Man is unique in the world,” Mr Musk wrote on his platform X on Sunday. “Hard to describe how incredible it is for those who have never been. Best art on Earth.”

Kelly Rissman reports:

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 19:30

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Is it ok to laugh at Burning Man memes?

Burning Man festival is the talk of the internet, with horrendous weather making the Nevada desert festival one of the biggest stories in the news agenda and one of the best meme trend of 2023 – but should it be?

Harry Fletcher from Indy100 reports:

Is it ok to laugh at Burning Man memes?

Burning Man festival is the talk of the internet, with horrendous weather making the Nevada desert festival one of the biggest stories in the news agenda and one of the best meme trend of 2023 – but should it be?Festivals are washed out all the time, after all. Everyone has seen pictures of mud-divi...

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 19:00

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Burning Man officials ask attendees to consider leaving tomorrow

In an update posted on Burning Man’s official website, organisers asked attendees to consider leaving the area on Tuesday 5 September to help alive the large amount of congestion expected to occur when they are cleared to leave today.

“Consider delaying your departure from Black Rock City until Tuesday 9/5. This will alleviate large amounts of congestion throughout the day today, Monday 9/4. “

Though it is not for certain that “Burners” will be allowed to leave on Monday, the area is beginning to dry up thanks to sunny conditions.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 18:30

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What we know about the death investigation

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a death at Burning Man to KNSD-TV on Saturday but offered few details. The identity of the person and the cause and manner of death have not been released.

The death occurred during the extreme rain that swept over the desert on Friday and Saturday but was not caused due to the rain.

The Independent has reached out to the law enforcement agency.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 18:00

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Burning Man disaster timeline

21 August - Tropical Storm Hilary strikes

The omens for a sodden festival began days before gates officially opened, when Tropical Storm Hilary slammed into California causing widespread flooding and damage. The unseasonal storm left the festival site in the Black Rock Desert covered in water, with the arid landscape unable to absorb the heavy rainwater.

Organisers warned the thousands of attendees who turn up early to construct the desert encampment for “build week” that gates would remain closed until 23 August.

23 August - Delayed set up begins

Gates officially open to festival workers, allowing artists access to the five mile squared Black Rock City site to build this year’s centerpiece, the Temple of the Heart structure.

27 August - Gates open, with major logjam

Gates officially open, and the majority of the tens of thousands of revellers begin to arrive.

The average wait time at the gate is around two hours, according to festival organisers.

1 September - Months of rain fail in a single day

The festival site is hit with 0.8 inches of rain in a space of 24 hours over the evening of 1 September and into the next day, the inclement weather a result of the long tail of Tropical Storm Hilary. This amounts to 2-3 months worth of rain.

2 September - Revellers look to escape

Some hardy festival goers opt to take matters into their own hands and walk for miles through the mud to nearby pickup points.

Among them are comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo, who posted a video to his Instagram account after they were given a lift by a passing truck.

3 September - Thousands left trapped

In a 9am update, Burning Man organisers say roads remain closed due to the mud and an “uncertain weather front” is approaching Black Rock City.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 17:30

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Grounds remain too wet for most vehicles to leave

Monday morning, officials with Burning Man said the grounds remained too muddy and wet for most attendees to leave, thought they would begin an exodus around 12pm PT.

“Gate Road remains too wet & muddy for most vehicles to safely navigate out of BRC this morning, but is drying. Exodus likely to begin around noon today, Monday 9/4,” an X account associated with Burning Man wrote.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 17:00

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Fairy Shrimp found on Burning Man grounds after rainstorm

A well-known “three-eyed” insect has been spotted on the freshly rained-upon grounds where Burning Man is hosted every year.

The creature, which is translucent in colour, is nicknamed “fairy shrimp”, and some Burning Man attendees have been found at the bottom of dried-out lake beds that can survive in drought-like conditions for years.

The strange-looking insects can return to the surface of the dried ground after a rainstorm, which is exactly what happened this past weekend at Burning Man in the Las Vegas desert.

On social media, Burning Man attendees who are being forced to remain in place until conditions are safe to drive in have discovered the “fairy shrimp” which are descendants of the triops cancriformis,.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 16:30

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Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Burning Man disaster was an ‘act of God’

Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that Burning Man revellers are being “brainwashed” into believing the washout has been caused by the climate crisis – which she claims was an act of God.

The Republican congresswoman and notorious conspiracy theorist joined fellow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his Info Wars show on Sunday night, where they both launched into their beliefs about the festival in the Nevada desert.

“There’s 73 to 75,000 in the Nevada desert right now at this Burning Man. They’re locked in,” the far-right lawmaker said.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 16:00

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President Biden briefed on Burning Man situation

President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation at Burning Man, according to a White House pool report.

“Administration officials are monitoring the situation are in touch with state and local officials. Event attendees should listen to state and local officials and event organizers,” the pool report says.

Ariana Baio4 September 2023 15:30

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2023-09-04 19:00:51Z
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