NEW YORK, July 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard announced that a vessel from an environmental group was removed from a group of sailing ships in New York, marking the country’s 250th anniversary, due to "politically charged" messages.
The ship, owned by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization, was excluded from the Sail4th 250 parade after the Coast Guard released a statement to Reuters.
The Clearwater vessel displayed banners stating, “Save the Clean Water Act” and “Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions.”
According to the Coast Guard, event participants had agreed not to show any political messages, and the Coast Guard enforced this agreement on behalf of Sail4th.
The Coast Guard stated, “The owner of the sloop Clearwater was contacted and asked to remove the displayed message or face removal from the parade.” The owner chose not to take it down.
Jen Benson, director of advocacy and communications for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, disputed this account, claiming that the Coast Guard did not ask for the banners to be removed but instead instructed the ship to leave the sailing route or face arrest.
“We don’t believe advocating for clean water is a political message,” Benson said. “People from all perspectives have been fighting for clean water in various ways across the United States.”
Sail4th 250 was organized by Freedom 250, a group formed during the Trump administration to plan the 250th anniversary celebrations. The event featured more than 40 tall ships from 20 countries, sailing through New York Harbor from near Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to the George Washington Bridge.
According to its website, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater aims to “protect the Hudson River by fostering a community of river advocates through education, advocacy, sailing, and music.”