Burning Man 2013: The Miracle

~* On Thursday afternoon out at the temple, I suddenly heard police sirens and then saw scores of police vehicles with lights flashing heading down the promenade towards the temple. It looked like at that moment every LEO on the playa was descending on the temple. Many of us stood stunned, not knowing what was happening, as these law enforcement vehicles slowly arrived and fanned out around the temple, as officers got out of each car. It looked like some kind of planned raid, perhaps a drug enforcement spot check. As they all got out of their cars and lined up on either side of the entrance to the temple, they took off their hats. Soon, a woman was being escorted down the path towards the temple, accompanied by someone holding a plaque. It became apparent that a fallen officer was being honored here at the temple, and that his family members were being escorted inside for a ceremony and placing of the plaque. As the officers went inside, crowds of burners followed, and everyone stood in respectful silence as the eulogy was read, and the plaque placed on the alter. Gongs quietly rang in the background, as desert dust gently blew through the temple. The capacity crowd stood in rapt silence. Afterwards, the crowd erupted in applause as the speaker finished up, and the assembled officers and family members filed out of the temple. It was an emotional and unifying scene, and though different people have had varying experiences with police on and off the playa, in that moment we were all part of the same shared experience. *~

— with Gregg Fleishman, Daniel Divine, Gabriel F Nunez, Yasmin Elgabry, Nico Felix Capurro, Greg Nazaretian andJohn Kim.