(ANTIMEDIA) Black Rock City, Nevada — The FBI was forced to admit that they have sent undercover agents to the Burning Man festival under the pretense of gathering intelligence on terrorists. A report released due to a Freedom Of Information Act request even details how the agency keeps files on festival attendees, who they deem to be potential terrorists.
The 16-page document released under duress by the FBI is still heavily censored — especially parts pertaining to high-tech police surveillance equipment used to “gather information.”
The fact that terrorism is used as an excuse for the surveillance is interesting, especially because the FBI notes in its report that the festival is a “cultural and artisan event, which promote[s] free expression by the participants.”
Apparently art and free expression can now be equated with terrorism.
The FBI claims the surveillance program is necessary to fight the “war on terror.” The agency said that the operation was “critical in the light of the ongoing war on terrorism and the potential for additional acts of terrorism being committed in the United States.”
The FBI report additionally indicates that this operation could target drug users and sellers. “The greatest known threat in this event is crowd control issues and use of illegal drugs by participants,” the FBI report said.
As we reported earlier this year, the state of Nevada will be looting the organizers of the world-famous “Burning Man” festival for roughly $2.8 million in a new tax scheme. The new scheme will place a 9% tax on ticket sales for a number of large events. This new tax could force Burning Man and a number of other events out of the state of Nevada.
