Sun Feb 23 20:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Climbers Hang Upside-Down US Flag on El Capitan to Protest National Park Job Cuts
**YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA** – Climbers have sparked controversy by displaying an upside-down U.S. flag on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The act, a widely recognized symbol of distress, was intended as a protest against recent job cuts within the National Park Service.
The climbers, associated with the group Vote In Or Out, stated their action was an exercise of free speech, aiming to highlight what they perceive as an “attack” on public lands. While thousands of park service jobs were cut in January, many have since been reinstated. However, the protesters specifically cite the reduction of the search and rescue team in Denali National Park and the loss of hundreds of Park Ranger positions as ongoing concerns.
The U.S. flag code discourages inverting the flag except in cases of extreme danger. While not legally binding, the climbers’ use of the inverted flag as a symbol of distress and political protest has drawn attention to their cause. The dramatic location of their protest, El Capitan, one of Yosemite’s iconic rock faces, further amplified their message.
First Piper 