Former Yosemite employees who were laid off and displayed an upside-down U.S. flag in a signal of “distress” say the act was meant to raise awareness about the threat of public land privatization and to call for the reinstatement of thousands of recently dismissed federal workers.

Job cuts across national parks and forests have left employees shocked and concerned—not just for their livelihoods but for the future of America’s protected lands. Many fear these reductions could be the first step toward privatizing vast wilderness areas.

“It’s clear they’re trying to destabilize and break things apart,” said Andria Townsend, a former Yosemite worker who researched the endangered fisher, a small carnivorous relative of the otter. “That’s how public lands get lost, and resource extraction begins.”

The inverted flag was hoisted Saturday from the top of Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan, a towering 3,000-foot rock formation that attracts visitors each February for the “firefall” phenomenon—when the seasonal Horsetail Fall glows orange at sunset, resembling molten lava.

“It’s a powerful statement,” said Olek Chmura, a former Yosemite custodial worker who was among the 1,000 National Park Service employees laid off on February 14. “An upside-down flag has always signified distress, and displaying it over Horsetail Falls is a wake-up call for people to pay attention.”

Chmura, who did not take part in the flag display, was just two months away from completing his one-year probationary period when he was dismissed. A trained plumber, he said he was committed to public service despite earning more in the private sector.

While visiting Yosemite after losing his job, Chmura had to use a restroom with a broken lock because other facilities were too unclean. The lock, he noted, hadn’t been fixed because the park’s only locksmith had also been laid off.

“We were already short-staffed,” he said, estimating that Yosemite lost 11 employees in the cuts. “And this isn’t even peak tourist season.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, did not respond to requests for comment. However, agency head Doug Burgum recently told Fox News that the Trump administration planned to expand oil and gas leasing on federal lands.

“We’re moving quickly,” Burgum said, adding that officials have been directed to review and potentially redraw the boundaries of national monuments designated by previous administrations. Among those at risk are Utah’s Bears Ears, known for its uranium deposits, and Grand Staircase-Escalante, which contains significant coal reserves.

A White House spokesperson previously stated that the administration remains committed to “protecting America’s natural resources while improving efficiency in federal agencies.”

“In his first term, President Trump demonstrated that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity can coexist,” the statement read.

Townsend, who was also laid off during her probationary period, noted that her position had been grant-funded rather than taxpayer-funded.

“Firing me doesn’t save taxpayers a single dime,” she said, describing the past two weeks as both painful and isolating.

However, seeing the upside-down flag at El Capitan gave her a sense of hope.

“Yosemite is one of the most recognizable national parks,” she said. “When people think of public lands, they think of Yosemite. That gives us the leverage to make a real impact.”

On Saturday, Townsend joined about 100 protesters at the park, carrying signs demanding the rehiring of workers and the protection of public lands from privatization.

The demonstration’s organizer, a former ranger who wished to remain anonymous in hopes of being rehired, said many park visitors honked and cheered when the flag was displayed.

While some criticized the gesture as unpatriotic or disruptive to the view of the waterfall, others said it reminded them of family visits to national parks.

“People are paying attention,” the former ranger said. “And we’re not backing down. Federal employees across all agencies matter.”