SAN FRANCISCO—Mayor London Breed admonished people who gathered for Burning Man at San Francisco Ocean Beach on Saturday, September 5, and closed parking lots at the beach for the rest of the Labor Day weekend.
More than 1000 people gathered at Ocean Beach on Saturday night to celebrate the 34th year of Burning Man. Mayor London Breed criticized them with her comment on Twitter: “This was absolutely reckless & selfish. You are not celebrating. You are putting people’s lives at risk.”
Last night, over 1,000 people crowded on Ocean Beach to celebrate Burning Man. This was absolutely reckless & selfish. You are not celebrating. You are putting people's lives at risk. You are putting our progress at risk. No one is immune from spreading the virus.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) September 6, 2020
Burning Man is an annual event which attracts people around the world. It is usually held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week including Labor Day weekend. People enjoy their days with art installations and music performances. In 2020, the festival was scheduled between August 30 and September 7 as a virtual event themed “Multiverse”, including eight Universes, a virtual Temple, and Man Burn.
#VR Burning Man Event Will Feature Live Music, Art, And Workshops—Black Rock City meets the multiverse in this one-of-a-kind virtual celebration • @VRScout • #VirtualReality #burningman #burningman2020 • https://t.co/DOOgaLtEU0pic.twitter.com/08Y6ineutw
— Jean-Yves Gonin (@jeanyvesgonin) August 25, 2020
One night after people gathered at Ocean Beach, the Burning Man Project account warned on Twitter: “We urge everyone to refrain from gathering unsafely in large groups, maintain public health, and respect local, state, and federal guidelines. Let’s all help prevent the spread of the COVID-19.”
Mayor Breed continued to advise people not to return to the beach on Sunday night, “We know people love Burning Man & people want to get together this weekend. But we all need to do our part. Stay home, stay safe.”
