A small group of protesters hung an inverted American flag — historically used as a sign of distress — off the side of El Capitan, a towering rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on Saturday, hoping to draw attention to the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service.
The upside-down flag drew widespread attention on social media because hundreds of visitors were photographing an annual phenomenon in the park known as firefall, when the setting sun causes a seasonal waterfall on El Capitan to glow orange.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the flag, measuring 30 feet by 50 feet, was displayed by a group of frustrated Park Service workers, some of whom rappelled down the side of El Capitan, which rises more than 3,000 feet above the base of Yosemite Valley.
The protest organizers could not immediately be reached on Monday. One of them, Gavin Carpenter, told The Chronicle that he was a maintenance mechanic at Yosemite and a disabled military veteran who had supplied the flag.
“We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,” Mr. Carpenter said. “It’s super important we take care of them, and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open.”
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
The protest came as demonstrations have been held at other national parks across the country, including at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Joshua Tree National Park in California.
The protesters have been taking aim at the Trump administration’s decision to abruptly fire at least 1,000 Park Service employees as part of a wave of layoffs across the federal work force.
At least 3,000 additional people have been fired from the U.S. Forest Service, which often works in concert with the Park Service.
The administration has also dismissed thousands of federal workers, including Park Service and Forest Service employees, who were on a probationary status, generally because they had started their jobs within the preceding 12 months.
On Saturday, some of the fired workers marched at Yosemite, holding protest signs and chanting slogans, including, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Elon Musk has got to go!”
Current and former employees say the Park Service was already underfunded and understaffed before the Trump administration’s recent cuts.
The layoffs, they say, will deplete the services that hundreds of millions of people expect when they visit the national parks — reducing everything from the hours and cleanliness of visitor centers and restrooms to the availability of experienced guides.
Several people who saw the upside-down flag as they were gathering to see the firefall said that word had spread through the crowd that it was intended to be a protest against the Trump administration’s cuts.
Amber Walker, 26, who lives in Reno, Nev., and has visited more than 30 national parks, called it “one of the most brave things I’ve seen in person.” She said others in the area who had reserved spots to see the firefall were also moved.
Michelle Treseler, 39, who lives in Marin County, Calif., said she and her husband, Jon Adams, saw the flag after they had returned from a hike and were preparing to see their fourth firefall.
“Honestly, when I looked up, I felt inspired,” Ms. Treseler said. “I feel like our national parks are national treasures, and they need to be protected, as does our democracy. It was a call to action and a call for hope.”
Kitty Bennett contributed research.
Content Source: www.nytimes.com