Visitors to Yosemite Valley on Tuesday morning saw a banner reading “Stop the genocide” on El Capitan, according to social media posts and the San Francisco Chronicle.

A group calling themselves @ClimbersWithPalestine have hung a banner reading “Stop the Genocide” from El Capitan, the iconic 3,000-ft granite wall in Yosemite National Park. pic.twitter.com/XSo51aBXPJ

— BrookeAnderson (@movementphotog) June 18, 2024

Four climbers from the group Climbers With Palestine staged a 24-hour demonstration midway up the famous cliff to highlight the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of deaths since last fall.

Emily Weinstein, a co-founder of the group, said, “We’re taking our message to the most iconic climb in the most-visited valley in one of the most-visited national parks.”

The climbers began their ascent of the Nose route on El Capitan on Monday morning. By evening, they had hung their 25-by-15-foot banner, painted in Palestinian flag colors, 1,500 feet up the cliff, securing it with steel bolts.

Related Story: Israel Denies Genocide Charges, Asserts Efforts to Protect Gaza Civilians

Banner Comes Down Tuesday at Dusk

The group did not inform park officials about their demonstration. They planned to keep the banner up until dusk Tuesday, then remove it and rappel down. Weinstein said precautions were taken to prevent the banner from becoming a hazard, and it would be attended the entire time.

Earlier this year, Climbers With Palestine conducted a similar exhibition in Joshua Tree National Park, where a climber unfurled a Palestinian flag one pitch up a crag.

“We want to take action, and as climbers, we have the skills to do this,” Weinstein said.

Read more at San Francisco Chronicle.