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Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
American flag hung upside down in Yosemite National Park in protest over layoffs
A "distress" signal hung on one of Yosemite National Park's most iconic sites by staff members was done in protest of recent layoffs by the Trump administration. The inverted Stars and Stripes hung on the side of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot wall of sheer granite, on Saturday, Feb. 22. Anand K Sankaran captured footage, and told media-gathering website Storyful the flag was hung upside-down just before "firefall," a period of time when the small waterfall Horsetail Fall "can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset," the park's website says. The symbol of protest was done by park staffers, media outlets report. The practice dates back at least 50 years, according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. White House Will Not Release Visitor Logs During Trump's Second Term "We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties," Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic and disabled military veteran who assisted Saturday, told the San Francisco Chronicle. Read On The Fox News App "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," he continued. Conservatives See Pro-maga Youth Shift As Vp Vance Vows To 'Fight' For Younger Generation Last week, the Trump administration fired about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees who maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and perform other functions as part of its broad-based effort to downsize government, the Associated Press reported. Facing outcry, the administration plans to restore at least 50 jobs across the parks. The park service also said in a new memo it will hire more seasonal workers than normal. The park service has about 20,000 employees. At least a dozen of those who lost their jobs worked at Yosemite. Neither the White House nor National Park Service responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment. Flying a flag upside down is traditionally a sign of "dire distress," the United States Flag Code states. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: American flag hung upside down in Yosemite National Park in protest over layoffs
Fox News
25-02-2025
- General
- Fox News
American flag hung upside down in Yosemite National Park in protest over layoffs
A "distress" signal hung on one of Yosemite National Park's most iconic sites by staff members was done in an apparent protest of recent layoffs by the Trump administration. The inverted Stars and Stripes hung on the side of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot wall of sheer granite, on Saturday, Feb. 22. Anand K Sankaran captured footage, and told media-gathering website Storyful the flag was hung upside down just before "firefall," a period of time when the small Horsetail Fall waterfall "can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset," the park's website says. The symbol of protest was done by park staffers, media outlets report. The practice dates back at least 50 years, according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. "We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties," Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic and disabled military veteran who assisted Saturday, 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," he continued. Last week, the Trump administration fired about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees who maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and perform other functions as part of its broad-based effort to downsize government, the Associated Press reported. Facing outcry, the administration plans to restore at least 50 jobs across the parks. The park service also said in a new memo it will hire more seasonal workers than normal. The park service has about 20,000 employees. At least a dozen of those who lost their jobs worked at Yosemite. Neither the White House nor National Park Service responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment. Flying a flag upside down is traditionally a sign of "dire distress," the United States Flag Code states.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Upside-down U.S flag hung at Yosemite National Park to protest employee cuts
Nature lovers flock to Yosemite National Park every February to witness the majestic "firefall" event, but this year's crowds were met a different spectacle: an upside-down American flag hung on a summit to protest the Trump administration's cuts of national park service employees. The flag was hung on the top of the famed El Capitan summit, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in Mariposa County, California, on Saturday evening by a group of upset Yosemite employees. An upside-down American flag is traditionally a sign of 'dire distress,' according to the United States Flag Code. The demonstration came at a time when all eyes are on the summit for the firefall viewing event — a phenomenon that unfolds in February when Horsetail Falls, a seasonal waterfall on the east side of El Capitan, takes on an orange, lava-like glow as the sun sets. The event attracts a flurry of photographers who wait hours for the perfect shot. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park who supplied 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.' The Trump administration cut 1,000 jobs at the National Park Service earlier this month in a push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending. Impacted national park and forest employees say fewer workers will lead to longer lines, filthy bathrooms and unsafe hiking and camping conditions at America's precious public lands. For many, the job already paid a low salary, compensated by breathtaking views and sunsets. Photographer Brittany Colt snapped the view of the upside-down flag next to the firefall. 'This hit so close to home for me. I witnessed several of my friends lose their jobs overnight while leaving our public lands vulnerable. These people had very valuable jobs, such as Search and Rescue and keeping the restrooms and park clean for visitors. If we lose the public servants, the park experience will get only harder and potentially more dangerous for visitors,' she wrote on her Instagram story. Alex Wild, a former Yosemite and and the only certified EMT ranger at Devils Postpile National Monument in California, told NBC's Morgan Chesky last week: 'I'm the only person available to rescue someone, to do CPR, to carry them out from a trail if they got injured.' He said without him, people will likely wait hours for local first responders to arrive. 'It could mean life or death for someone who's having an emergency,' Wild said. The Trump administration later said it would restore at least 50 jobs to maintain and clean parks, and would hire nearly 3,000 additional seasonal workers following backlash over the cuts, The Associated Press article was originally published on
NBC News
24-02-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Upside-down U.S flag hung at Yosemite National Park to protest employee cuts
Nature lovers flock to Yosemite National Park every February to witness the majestic "firefall" event, but this year's crowds were met a different spectacle: an upside-down American flag hung on a summit to protest the Trump administration's cuts of national park service employees. The flag was hung on the top of the famed El Capitan summit, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in Mariposa County, California, on Saturday evening by a group of upset Yosemite employees. An upside-down American flag is traditionally a sign of 'dire distress,' according to the United States Flag Code. The demonstration came at a time when all eyes are on the summit for the firefall viewing event — a phenomenon that unfolds in February when Horsetail Falls, a seasonal waterfall on the east side of El Capitan, takes on an orange, lava-like glow as the sun sets. The event attracts a flurry of photographers who wait hours for the perfect shot. 'We're bringing attention to what's happening to the parks, which are every American's properties,' Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park who supplied 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.' The Trump administration cut 1,000 jobs at the National Park Service earlier this month in a push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending. Impacted national park and forest employees say fewer workers will lead to longer lines, filthy bathrooms and unsafe hiking and camping conditions at America's precious public lands. For many, the job already paid a low salary, compensated by breathtaking views and sunsets. Photographer Brittany Colt snapped the view of the upside-down flag next to the firefall. 'This hit so close to home for me. I witnessed several of my friends lose their jobs overnight while leaving our public lands vulnerable. These people had very valuable jobs, such as Search and Rescue and keeping the restrooms and park clean for visitors. If we lose the public servants, the park experience will get only harder and potentially more dangerous for visitors,' she wrote on her Instagram story. Alex Wild, a former Yosemite and and the only certified EMT ranger at Devils Postpile National Monument in California, told NBC's Morgan Chesky last week: 'I'm the only person available to rescue someone, to do CPR, to carry them out from a trail if they got injured.' He said without him, people will likely wait hours for local first responders to arrive. 'It could mean life or death for someone who's having an emergency,' Wild said. The Trump administration later said it would restore at least 50 jobs to maintain and clean parks, and would hire nearly 3,000 additional seasonal workers following backlash over the cuts, reported.
