The Burning Man festival removed a massive pro-Palestine sculpture from the list of art installations set to be on display at the massive gathering this summer.
More than 1,000 people signed an online petition demanding the 8-foot-by-14-foot fiberglass watermelon titled “From the River to the Sea” previously listed on the event’s website be removed — but organizers said the listing was only submitted to cause a “stir” and likely won’t be part of the annual festival in the Nevada desert.
“The phrase ‘From the River to the Sea’ is more than just words; it is a battle cry that legitimizes violence against Jewish people and promotes a vision that denies the Jewish state’s right to exist,” the petitioners argued.
The phrase is a popular one among anti-Israel protesters since the war began on Oct. 7 with Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel.
“There is no place for hate and antisemitism at all!” one of the petition’s signers commented. “Especially in a festival promoting freedom and acceptance! Shame!”
The original listing on the Burning Man website claimed that the watermelon became symbolic because it shares the same red, black, white and green colors of the Palestinian flag, which was banned from Israel in 1967.
It claimed the piece was by “Decolonize Now” and comes directly from Gaza.
But a spokesperson for the weeklong festival, set to begin Aug. 25, said the sculpture is “likely not” headed to the Nevada festival in August.
“Based on the circumstances around the way the listing was submitted, we believe that this is likely not an actual art piece coming to Black Rock City, but that the listing was instead intended to stir an emotional response within the Burning Man community,” a statement shared with the San Francisco Gate said.
The organizers did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Post.
Once the listing was yanked from the site, pro-Palestine supporters flooded the festival’s social media.
“It is truly a terrible thing when [sic] artist and their work is censored,” one commenter said. Another accused Burning Man of “bowing down” to Zionists.
The week-long desert rave is described as a “global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world.” It promotes “radical self-expression” and “radical inclusion.”
