The US Coast Guard said Saturday it removed a boat participating in a sail parade celebrating Independence Day in New York Harbor for displaying what it described as 'politically charged messages.'

The Coast Guard said a boat belonging to the environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater was forced to leave the 'Sail for 250' parade in New York Harbor. The boat raised banners reading 'Save the Clean Water Act,' 'Indigenous rights, racial justice, and climate solutions,' according to Reuters.

According to the Coast Guard, participants in the event agreed not to display political or political-themed messages or statements, adding that it enforced the agreement on behalf of the organizers of Sail for 250. The Coast Guard stated: 'The owner of the Clearwater sailboat was contacted and asked to remove the displayed message or leave the sailing parade... but he refused to remove the message.'

For her part, Jen Benson, director of outreach and communications for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, disputed this account. She said the Coast Guard did not ask to remove the banners, but asked the boat to leave the sailing route or else the crew would face arrest. Benson said: 'We do not consider advocating for clean water to be a political message... People from various political backgrounds, and even without any political affiliation, fight in the United States in different ways for clean water.'

Sail for 250 was one of the events organized by the Freedom 250 group, created by the administration of US President Donald Trump to plan celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. More than 40 large sailing vessels from 20 countries participated in the event, sailing through New York Harbor from near Sandy Hook, New Jersey to the George Washington Bridge. According to the website of the environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, its mission is 'to protect the Hudson River by fostering a multi-generational community of river advocates through education, awareness, sailing, and music.'

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