Environmental groups rally against trump administration’s proposed weakening of endangered species act protections

Environmental activists gathered outside the Department of the Interior’s Washington, D.C. headquarters Thursday to protest the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, with one demonstrator donning a realistic polar bear costume while holding a sign reading “Stop Trump’s Extinction Plan.”

The demonstration, which drew approximately 35 participants, represents growing opposition from environmental groups to what they characterize as systematic efforts to dismantle critical wildlife protections. The polar bear costume served as a particularly poignant symbol, as these Arctic predators have become emblematic of species threatened by climate change and habitat loss.

The Trump administration’s proposed modifications to the landmark 1973 Endangered Species Act have sparked widespread concern among conservationists who argue the changes could further jeopardize the nation’s most vulnerable wildlife populations. The Endangered Species Act has been credited with helping save numerous species from extinction, including the bald eagle, gray whale, and American alligator, making it one of the most important environmental laws in U.S. history.

Environmental organizations are mobilizing resistance efforts against these regulatory changes, viewing them as part of a broader pattern of rolling back environmental protections. The protesters’ choice of venue—directly outside the Interior Department, which oversees wildlife management through agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—underscores the urgency advocates feel about protecting existing safeguards for imperiled species at a time when biodiversity loss is accelerating globally.