Viewers of Thursday’s confirmation hearing of acting interior secretary David Bernhardt were met with a surprise: a green, unblinking swamp creature was watching attentively from the second row, visible just over Bernhardt’s right shoulder.

The creature was one of several scattered throughout the hearing room — and, after some discussion by Capitol Police officers, eventually removed — in protest of Bernhardt’s nomination.

The environmental group Greenpeace was among the groups spearheading the protest; in a statement, it called Bernhardt “a former oil and gas lobbyist who previously worked to help corporate polluters get their hands on public lands.”

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As the hearing got underway, some protesters donned masks resembling the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Others were clad in swamp-inspired green couture and wore masks of Bernhardt’s face.