U.S. Coast Guard Removes Environmental Group's Vessel From Sail4th Parade

The US Coast Guard said "politically charged" messages led to the removal of an environmental group's vessel from a fleet of sailing ships gathered in New York on Saturday to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary, Nicole Jao reported for Reuters.

The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater was removed from New York's Sail4th 250 parade after a dispute over banners displayed aboard the vessel. (Photo: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Facebook)

A ship owned by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater environmental organization was removed from the Sail4th 250 Parade in New York Harbor, according to a Coast Guard statement. The vessel displayed banners reading, "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions."

According to the Coast Guard, participants had agreed not to display political or politically charged messages during the event, and the agency enforced that agreement on behalf of Sail4th.

"The owner of the sloop Clearwater was contacted and requested to remove the message being displayed or be removed from the parade of sail," the Coast Guard said.

"They declined to remove it."

Jen Benson, the organization's director of advocacy and communications, disputed the Coast Guard's account. She said officials did not ask that the banners be removed but instead instructed the vessel to leave the sailing route or face possible arrest.

"We don't feel like advocating for clean water is a politically charged message," Benson said. "People on all sides of the aisle, and no sides at all, have been fighting in the US for clean water in different ways."