Latest news with #Firefall
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Yosemite climbers just hung a huge trans Pride flag from El Capitan: ‘Visibility and resistance'
A group of climber-activists has just hung a large transgender Pride flag in the middle of El Capitan's massive granite face, visible to onlookers in Yosemite Valley. It's an 'act of visibility and resistance' meant to raise awareness about what the climbers call discrimination against transgender people by the Trump administration, according to a statement from the group, which described itself as a coalition of transgender, queer and allied climbers. 'Trans people belong in nature, in community and everywhere,' the group said. The demonstration comes amid the Trump administration's moves to eliminate institutional support of diversity, equity and inclusion across the federal government and in higher education, with many private companies following suit as well. In its statement, the group says the administration is 'actively working to erase trans people from government databases, education systems, libraries and discriminate against queer and trans park rangers in the National Park system.' The transgender Pride flag, which has appeared at LGBT+ gatherings for the past quarter-century, shows five horizontal stripes in light blue, pink and white — colors chosen to symbolize masculine, feminine and trans or gender-neutral identities. The climber group claims the flag they unfurled Tuesday morning, which measures 55 feet by 35 feet, 'is the largest flag ever displayed on El Capitan.' It was hung on the Heart Ledges, a famously visible granite feature about 1,500 feet off the ground. Yosemite Valley has been the site of several political protests this year denouncing the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency. Tuesday's demonstration comes three months after a group of Yosemite National Park staffers hung a large, upside-down American flag — symbolizing distress — from the top of El Capitan during the annual Firefall spectacle. That instance was meant to draw attention to sweeping job cuts affecting federal public lands workers. Nate Vince, a coordinator of the Firefall flag display who was also involved in Tuesday's demonstration, said in the statement, 'Everyone deserves respect. Trans people are my friends. I step up when my friends need help and we all need to step up right now for trans people.' One of the lead organizers of the Pride flag demonstration is Pattie Gonia, an outdoor enthusiast, drag queen and social media personality who is an outspoken advocate of connecting trans people to the outdoors. 'Let this flag fly higher than hate,' Pattie Gonia said in the group's statement. 'We are done being polite about trans people's existence. Call it a protest, call it a celebration — either way, it's giving elevation to liberation.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watch: Demonstrators hang upside-down American flag at Yosemite National Park
As visitors descended on Yosemite National Park to witness its iconic 'Firefall' event, an upside-down American flag was hung on a park summit to protest the ongoing federal job cuts carried out by President Trump's administration. The flag was seen hanging Saturday on top of the park's famous El Capitan summit, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation where the 'Firefall' can be spotted. The demonstration comes after thousands of jobs have been cut across federal agencies, including the National Park Service, where 1,000 workers were laid off. Garin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park who provided the flag to fellow demonstrators, told the San Fransisco Chronicle the flag was meant to bring attention to the impacts of layoffs at the National Park Service. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' he told the outlet. '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.' An upside-down flag display is framed by U.S. Code as a sign of disrespect, except when it's used to signal "dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." 'Defend U.S. Rally': Protest held in response to firings at Sequoia and Kings national parks Watch: 'Firefall' phenomenon at El Capitan inside Yosemite National Park Federal layoffs 2025: Impacted agencies include IRS, FAA, TSA and more The Trump administration has continued to tear through the federal government's payroll, including at the National Park Service, where hundreds of workers were laid off. The effects of those cuts have already begun to be felt by rangers and park visitors across the United States, as previously reported by USA TODAY. Saguaro National Park in Tucson announced it was closing its two visitor centers on Mondays starting Feb. 24. At Yosemite National Park, officials announced they're halting reservations for 577 coveted camping spots this summer. Effigy Mounds in Iowa said it's closing its visitor center two days a week until the summer. "I don't know whether we'll see overflowing latrines, polluted streams, or deadly wildfires first, but Doug Burgum is already leaving a path of destruction across America's parks and public lands," said Aaron Weiss, the deputy director of the public lands advocacy group Center for Western Priorities. Contributing: Trevor Hughes Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yosemite protesters hang upside-down flag after Trump park layoffs
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Video: Demonstrators hang upside-down American flag at Yosemite National Park
Video: Demonstrators hang upside-down American flag at Yosemite National Park Show Caption Hide Caption Yosemite staff protest Pres. Trump's firings with upside-down flag Yosemite National Park staff hung an upside-down U.S. flag on El Capitan summit to protest staff firings at the park by the Trump administration. As visitors descended on Yosemite National Park to witness its iconic 'Firefall' event, an upside-down American flag was hung on a park summit to protest the ongoing federal job cuts carried out by President Trump's administration. The flag was seen hanging Saturday on top of the park's famous El Capitan summit, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation where the 'Firefall' can be spotted. The demonstration comes after thousands of jobs have been cut across federal agencies, including the National Park Service, where 1,000 workers were laid off. Garin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park who provided the flag to fellow demonstrators, told the San Fransisco Chronicle the flag was meant to bring attention to the impacts of layoffs at the National Park Service. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' he told the outlet. '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.' An upside-down flag display is framed by U.S. Code as a sign of disrespect, except when it's used to signal "dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." Watch: Upside-down flag hangs at Yosemite Watch: 'Firefall' phenomenon at El Capitan inside Yosemite National Park Federal layoffs 2025: Impacted agencies include IRS, FAA, TSA and more Trump administration lays off thousands across key agencies The Trump administration has continued to tear through the federal government's payroll, including at the National Park Service, where hundreds of workers were laid off. The effects of those cuts have already begun to be felt by rangers and park visitors across the United States, as previously reported by USA TODAY. Saguaro National Park in Tucson announced it was closing its two visitor centers on Mondays starting Feb. 24. At Yosemite National Park, officials announced they're halting reservations for 577 coveted camping spots this summer. Effigy Mounds in Iowa said it's closing its visitor center two days a week until the summer. "I don't know whether we'll see overflowing latrines, polluted streams, or deadly wildfires first, but Doug Burgum is already leaving a path of destruction across America's parks and public lands," said Aaron Weiss, the deputy director of the public lands advocacy group Center for Western Priorities. Contributing: Trevor Hughes Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group claims responsibility for hanging upside-down Stars and Stripes off of El Capitan in Yosemite
Yosemite National Park staffers claimed responsibility for an upside-down American flag being hung thousands of feet in the air to protest the Trump administration's 'attack' against public lands and mass layoffs of federal staff. Thousands of visitors descended on California's Sierra Nevada mountain range as the so-called 'Distress flag' fluttered in the wind 3,000ft above the valley floor off the top of El Capitan, the tallest exposed vertical face of granite on Earth. A group of six demonstrators rigged ropes and rappelled down the cliff face to unfurl the 30 by 50ft flag on Saturday. The stunt was timed with the last weekend of the annual Firefall spectacle where the setting sun causes Horsetail Falls to take on a fiery orange glow. The upside-down flag was intentionally hung close to the waterfall. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic who supplied and helped hang the flag, told the San Francisco Chronicle. '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.' Eleven of Yosemite's full-time staff members, including the park's sole locksmith and a biologist received a termination email on February 14 – as did 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees across the country after the Trump administration directed federal agencies to carry out widespread layoffs. At least 50 jobs that were originally cut are already being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, reports the Associated Press. Many of Yosemite's staffers live in employer-provided housing inside the national park. 'Since these cuts came, a lot of people are really uneasy and worried about what's going to happen to them,' Carpenter said. Historically, the upside-down flag represented an apolitical symbol of distress or national threat. It has been appropriated by both the left and right in protest – from those who expressed dissent with the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Donald Trump's MAGA supporters who contested the result of the 2020 election. Park visitors who saw the flag flying offered mixed responses. 'At first thought the upside-down flag was for Trump support, but then realized it was to support the national parks, and I was for it,' Las Vegas resident Tina Alidio told The Chronicle. 'I would rather see nature, contested Rebecca Harvey of Mariposa County, adding: 'No hand of man.' Shortly after hanging the banner, Yosemite National Park Service released a statement, claiming their display was a protest on behalf of public land. 'The purpose of this exercise of free speech is to disrupt without violence and draw attention to the fact that public lands in the United States are under attack,' it read. 'Firing 1,000s of staff regardless of position or performance across the nation is the first step in destabilizing the protections in place for these great places.' It continued: 'These losses, while deeply personal and impactful, may also be invisible to visitors and members of the public – we are shining a spotlight on them by putting a distress flag on El Capitan in view of Firefall. Think of it as your public lands on strike.'
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Group claims responsibility for hanging upside-down Stars and Stripes off of El Capitan in Yosemite
Yosemite National Park staffers claimed responsibility for an upside-down American flag being hung thousands of feet in the air to protest the Trump administration 's 'attack' against public lands and mass layoffs of federal staff. Thousands of visitors descended on California 's Sierra Nevada mountain range as the so-called 'Distress flag' fluttered in the wind 3,000ft above the valley floor off the top of El Capitan, the tallest exposed vertical face of granite on Earth. A group of six demonstrators rigged ropes and rappelled down the cliff face to unfurl the 30 by 50ft flag on Saturday. The stunt was timed with the last weekend of the annual Firefall spectacle where the setting sun causes Horsetail Falls to take on a fiery orange glow. The upside-down flag was intentionally hung close to the waterfall. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic who supplied and helped hang the flag, told the San Francisco Chronicle. '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.' Eleven of Yosemite's full-time staff members, including the park's sole locksmith and a biologist received a termination email on February 14 – as did 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees across the country after the Trump administration directed federal agencies to carry out widespread layoffs. At least 50 jobs that were originally cut are already being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, reports the Associated Press. Many of Yosemite's staffers live in employer-provided housing inside the national park. 'Since these cuts came, a lot of people are really uneasy and worried about what's going to happen to them,' Carpenter said. Historically, the upside-down flag represented an apolitical symbol of distress or national threat. It has been appropriated by both the left and right in protest – from those who expressed dissent with the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Donald Trump 's MAGA supporters who contested the result of the 2020 election. Park visitors who saw the flag flying offered mixed responses. 'At first thought the upside-down flag was for Trump support, but then realized it was to support the national parks, and I was for it,' Las Vegas resident Tina Alidio told The Chronicle. 'I would rather see nature, contested Rebecca Harvey of Mariposa County, adding: 'No hand of man.' Shortly after hanging the banner, Yosemite National Park Service released a statement, claiming their display was a protest on behalf of public land. 'The purpose of this exercise of free speech is to disrupt without violence and draw attention to the fact that public lands in the United States are under attack,' it read. 'Firing 1,000s of staff regardless of position or performance across the nation is the first step in destabilizing the protections in place for these great places.' It continued: 'These losses, while deeply personal and impactful, may also be invisible to visitors and members of the public – we are shining a spotlight on them by putting a distress flag on El Capitan in view of Firefall. Think of it as your public lands on strike.'
