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Violators could face up to six months in jail under the new rule, which appears to have been formalized last month.
June 10, 2025, 7:05 p.m. ET
It is one of America’s most majestic and recognizable landmarks, having beckoned Teddy Roosevelt, Ansel Adams and, more recently, protesters.
From the granite walls of El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park, demonstrators have draped large flags and banners several times in the past year in protest of a number of issues, including the Israel-Hamas war and various Trump administration policies.
There was one symbolizing transgender pride, another saying “Stop the Genocide” and an upside-down American flag, which represents distress.
Now, the federal government seemingly wants to keep the famous rock formation a blank slate. It has outlawed large flags, banners and signs from El Capitan and most of the park altogether.
The ban appears to have been formalized last month by Yosemite’s acting superintendent, Raymond McPadden, in a Park Service compendium of regulations dated May 20.
The rule tracks with a series of punitive actions by the Trump administration against some critics of its immigration policies and Palestinian sympathizers.
