- Free-spirited individuals desire to engage in spontaneous fire-dancing while being bare-skinned.
Law Enforcement Halts Nude Fire Dance by Hippie Group "Rainbow Family" in Harz
The law enforcement thwarted a nude fire dance of the hippie group "Rainbow Family" in Harz with a large-scale operation. The operation, involving the Lower Saxon municipalities of Bad Grund and Clausthal, commenced on Monday afternoon and concluded in the early hours of Tuesday, as announced by the authorities in the Göttingen district. Approximately 1000 individuals were reportedly still present in the area, according to information from Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
For the so-called "Rainbow Gathering," hundreds of people had accumulated in the landscape protection area over a space of 200 hectares a week prior. They had planned to engage in a nude dance around an open flame under the full moon of Tuesday night, to be lit on a vast, treeless square, as per narratives from the participants.
Nonetheless, the authorities were able to prevent this from occurring. "Our primary objective is to prohibit the large ritual fire that the Rainbow Family intends to celebrate in commemoration of this full moon night," a spokesperson for the Göttingen district administration stated to the local newspaper "Harzkurier" beforehand.
Hippie Group Lacks Approval for Fire Ritual
Fires are generally prohibited within the forest area. The risk of forest fires is too significant, the districts of Goslar and Göttingen cautioned in a statement. The campers also disregarded the absolute tobacco ban.
Initially, the hippie group, which promotes world peace, had intended to carry out its ritual on a meadow in the Malliehagental near Uslar in the district of Northeim. However, no permit was granted for the campsite, as reported by the NDR. By decree, the city of Uslar classified the meadow as a restricted area from August 14 to 20.
Access to the landscape protection area between Bad Grund and Clausthal was also prohibited. Violations can incur fines of up to 5000 euros from the authorities. Some members of the "Rainbow Family" had departed the area during the past week. However, new participants had joined over the weekend, as reported by the German Press Agency.
Peaceful Evacuation of the Camp
On Monday afternoon, the police and fire department arrived. Vehicles obstructing emergency access routes were towed away, as well as illegal tents removed and fines imposed, as per official statements.
Despite this, the situation remained tranquil. Videos on social media sites depicted people dancing in minimal attire or nude to drum music as the emergency services arrived.
The police played a crucial role in enforcing the prohibitions, towed away obstructing vehicles, and removed illegal tents during the operation. However, the atmosphere remained relatively peaceful, with people continuing their activities, including dancing, despite the presence of the authorities.
