On Monday evening, a California-based collective called Climbers with Palestine unfurled a gigantic banner reading, “Stop the Genocide,” from the side of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park.
“Hello, my name is Miranda. I'm a Palestinian-American climber and climbing guide.”
This is Miranda Oakley, one of the climbers staging the protest.
“We are doing this because, as climbers, we have the skills and expertise to climb El Capitan as we've done many times before. And we wanna use our skills to do what we can to stop this genocide. I'm just asking the same thing from you. Do what you can to stop this genocide, whether it's boycotting Israeli products, calling a representative, or just talking to friends or family or posting on social media.”
El Capitan is one of the Yosemite National Park’s most recognizable destinations. On the north side of Yosemite Valley, the almost 3,000-foot vertical rock formation is one of the first things visitors notice upon entering the park.
The banner is about 1,500 feet off the ground, and will be up until Tuesday evening.
This isn’t the collective’s first protest. In March, they staged a much simpler protest in Joshua Tree, when they unfurled a Palestinian flag from the side of a smaller rock formation.
So far, the park has not responded to the protestors.
