Thousands of protesters spell out 'RESIST!!' on San Francisco's Ocean Beach

Thousands of protesters gathered on San Francisco's Ocean Beach on Saturday, using their bodies to send a political message.

To spectators on the beach, the purpose of the protest may have seemed unclear. But from the sky, there was no question. Thousands of people spelled out "RESIST!!" on the sand.

Organizer Brad Newsham wrote on Facebook that "a close study of a high-resolution overhead shot shows between 4,600 and 5,600 participants."

Newsham, a San Francisco taxi driver since 1985, says he has been organizing events like this since 2007, when he hosted his first aerial protest calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush. Since then, he says he has hosted between 12 and 15 similar events.

According to SFist, Newsham has advertised in the past that overflow participants could form an underline beneath the message, but that has never been necessary. At Saturday's protest, there were enough to people to spell out "resist," two exclamation points, and a bold underline.

Protesters gather to spell out "Resist!!" on Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Jan. 11, 2017. Protesters gather to spell out "Resist!!" on Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Jan. 11, 2017. Photo: Stefan Ruenzel Photo: Stefan Ruenzel Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Thousands of protesters spell out 'RESIST!!' on San Francisco's Ocean Beach 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

This is the latest San Francisco protest aimed at fighting back against the Trump administration. On the day of President Trump's inauguration, thousands of protestors formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted, "Love trumps hate." The following day there were six Bay Area protests associated with the Women's March.

As for the possibility of future protests and what messages may be spelled out on Ocean Beach next, Newsham writes, "It is too early to say where this current effort might lead."