Andrew Harnik/AP
A banner unfurled by Greenpeace demonstrators that reads "Resist" is seen at the construction site of the former Washington Post building, near the White House
The 70-foot by 35-foot banner says just one word: "Resist." The crane is positioned so that anyone looking at the front of the White House can clearly see the message, written in black lettering on a yellow and orange background.
The activists, including Greenpeace board chair Karen Topakian, are still on the crane near the sign as of Wednesday morning. According to Greenpeace, they have enough supplies to stay there for hours and intend to remain throughout the morning, posting live updates and broadcasts to Greenpeace USA's Facebook page.
"Greenpeace has used nonviolence to resist tyrannical bullies since 1971, and we're not going to stop now," Topakian said in a statement. In a live Facebook video posted from the crane, she added, "We're out here today with a message of resistance for our folks who are fighting for human rights, fighting for climate change, fighting for a better world."
The crane does not belong to Greenpeace, but happened to be in an opportune place for a sign, a Greenpeace spokesperson tells Business Insider.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Protesters unfurl a banner that reads "Resist" at the construction site of the former Washington Post building
In the days since Trump has taken office, his administration has moved to renew construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines and has frozen all new grants and contracts issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Reports also suggest the administration has ordered the agency to remove climate change pages and data from its website, confirming many scientists' worst fears about the president's agenda.
"It was a little chilly this morning when we arrived at the crane site, but it was a lot chillier in the oval office when President Trump decided to sign those executive orders reinstating the Keystone Pipeline, reinstating the North Dakota pipeline, taking women's right to choose away from them," Topakian said in her Facebook video.
Although Greenpeace is known for its environmental work, the activists say the banner is about more than that.
"I fear not only the policies of the incoming administration, but also the people emboldened by this election to commit acts of violence and hate," said Pearl Robinson, one of the activists who helped unfurl the banner, in a statement. "Now is the time to resist. We won't stand rollbacks on all the progress the people have made on women's reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, the heightened awareness of state-sanctioned violence on black and brown folks, and the progress we have made on access to clean and renewable energy, an issue I have personally worked on my entire adult life."