The Rainbow Family, also known as the “Rainbow Gathering”, is an annual summer gathering of free-spirited people who camp together in different national forests across the United States. This year’s event was planned to take place in Plumas National Forest near Quincy in northern California. However, on June 26th, the US Forest Service issued an eviction order to the Rainbow Family, stating that they had to vacate the area within 48 hours or face a fine of up to $5000 and/or six months in jail.
The reason for this sudden eviction is that the Rainbow Family does not have permits for their gathering, and they claim to be “the largest non-organization of non-members in the world. As such, organizers do not get the required permits as they claim they do not have leaders to sign them on behalf of the group.
The Rainbow Family sets up camp in different national forests each year, and their gatherings attract between 5000 and 10000 people each time. They develop water sources and dig trench latrines to use as bathrooms, and they also designate different areas of the campsite for group gatherings, partygoers, families with children, women and men, and others.
This summer’s camping event was expected to bring roughly 10000 visitors to the Plumas National Forest, near Antelope Lake in northern California — which officials said would overwhelm the area and its natural environment. Some 500 Rainbow Family members had already set up camp this week in an area near Indian Creek Headwaters, about five miles north of Antelope Lake.
The eviction order went into effect on June 26th, and it is being evaluated daily to determine when it can be lifted. Forest Supervisor Chris Carlton issued the order, stating that “the Forest is concerned about the 500 plus individuals already dispersed camping in a concentrated area… There are existing and projected impacts on natural and cultural resources and other authorized uses.
Locals were not pleased by the sudden arrival of the band of hippies, and they fought against their stay in town. Four tribes in the region, the Mountain Maidu, Paiute, Pit River, and Washoe, each wrote to the Rainbow Family asking them to reconsider their camping location.
Lassen County Supervisor Jason Ingram had been fighting the incoming since he learned of it. As I’ve said from the beginning, my concerns with this gathering were always the illegality aspect, the increased fire risk this would have created, the environmental impact, and the blatant disrespect shown to our local tribes,” Ingram said.
He celebrated the news of the commune’s first forced cancellation in over 50 years. I believe this is the first rainbow gathering event to be shut down, and you all had a hand in that,” Ingram said.
