Richmond joins nationwide protests to defend national parks

As part of a nationwide demonstration to defend national parks and public lands, a crowd gathered Saturday at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond.

The protest was one of 433 planned at national park sites across the country, an effort spearheaded by over 650 off-duty park rangers rallying to protect public lands and the employees who steward them.

The movement, called “433:433:1,” aims to raise awareness of threats facing national parks, including staffing cuts, elimination of diversity and inclusion programs, and delayed seasonal hiring. Organizers say these issues will have lasting consequences for the protection and accessibility of public lands.

Richmond City Councilmember Sue Wilson urged the crowd to continue supporting America’s national parks amid political challenges in Washington, D.C.

“Thank you to everyone for taking time out of your weekend to come here and show some love to the Rosie the Riveter Museum and to America’s national parks,” Wilson said. “We, the people, deserve parks, and our parks deserve people.”

Wilson said parks do not run by themselves and criticized federal decision-makers for failing to adequately support the nation’s public lands.

“We have a terrible problem in Washington. We have people who are basically idiots deciding they know better than these people how to run our parks,” Wilson said.

She urged attendees to take action by remaining engaged, bringing others into the movement, and reconsidering their spending habits.

“We’ve got to keep showing up and come back with our friends,” Wilson said. “Last week, we had our national day of not buying things from corporations, but we can make every day a day of not buying things from corporations.”

Wilson concluded with a call for collective action, acknowledging the uncertainty of the path forward. “We have to be the change because there’s no roadmap for this— or if there is a roadmap, it’s a terrifying one,” she said before calling for a chant, which the crowd delivered a rendition of “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Elon Musk has got to go!”

David Helvarg, Executive Director of the Richmond-based ocean conservation group Blue Frontier, connected the current fight to broader struggles in American democracy and warned of the consequences of failing to protect public lands and the environment.

“We come because people don’t surrender to authoritarians,” Helvarg said.

Helvarg compared that moment to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, arguing that “a free and fair election was not respected by a large part of the American populace.” He accused President Donald Trump of attempting a coup and warned of continued threats.

“The difference is, America’s diverse, America’s strong,” Helvarg said.

National Parks Conservation Association’s Communications Director Kati Schmidt said that America’s national parks transcend political divides. 

“Our national parks don’t care who you voted for in the election. Our national parks are something that are common ground and that all of us as Americans can care for and care about,” Schmidt said. “It is so important to continue to have places like Rosie the Riveter or Yosemite – that we continue to speak up and come together to say no. Hands off our parks, and we will speak up for parks and park rangers.”

The nationwide movement comes in response to recent firings of probationary National Park Service employees and broader concerns about policy shifts under the current administration. 

Josh Barnes, one of hundreds of probationary National Park Service employees fired on February 14, said in a statement that he mourned for his job, but mourned more for America’s public lands.

“I fear for their well-being under this current administration. Now, more than ever, we need to fight for our natural resources and historic sites. Use your voice and advocate for these loved, precious places,” Barnes wrote.

Protesters in Richmond and beyond were encouraged to support the movement in person or online while following park rules and Leave No Trace principles. Organizers stress that the demonstrations are independent of the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior.

The Richmond gathering was one of hundreds taking place across the country, marking a significant moment of collective action in defense of public lands.

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