Yosemite National Park: Reason Why American Flag Was Seen Hanging Upside-Down in US

• Visitors to Yosemite National Park during the "firefall" phenomenon on February 22 witnessed an upside-down American flag hanging over El Capitan
• Yosemite employees hung the flag to protest the Trump administration's downsizing initiatives, which have impacted the National Park Service
• The symbolic distress call drew attention to the importance of maintaining the parks and the effects of losing staff

USA – February is one of the busiest times of the year at Yosemite National Park, thanks to "firefall," a natural phenomenon causing a glowing ribbon of water to look like molten lava cascading down El Capitan’s Horsetail Fall.

Travellers from around the world flock to witness the event, booking entry tickets and reserving parking spots a year in advance.

However, this year’s visitors witnessed more than firefall on February 22; they saw an upside-down American flag hanging over the side of El Capitan.

Symbolic protest against downsizing

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Yosemite employees reportedly hung the flag to protest the recent downsizing that took place as part of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiatives.

Traditionally, hanging the American flag upside down symbolizes a distress call. Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic with Yosemite, spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday, stating he supplied the flag and helped hang it.

"We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties. 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."

Impact of downsizing on National Parks

In 2023, Yosemite was the sixth busiest national park in the country, with 3.89 million visitors. Located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, the park is a habitat for the endangered California condor and home to giant sequoias, the largest trees in the world.

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Park officials nationwide have raised concerns about how the abrupt federal firings will impact the National Park Service. Iowa park ranger Brian Gibbs, one of the affected workers, said he found out about his recent termination when he was locked out of his email.

He wrote a public Facebook post about his feelings of being "absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated," which has been shared more than 200,000 times.

Trump sacks 20 Judges in US

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Trump administration dismissed 20 immigration judges without explanation amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government, a union official reported on February 15.

The dismissals occurred on February 14, affecting 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges, according to Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers.

Source: Legit.ng