The US Coast Guard said yesterday (Saturday) that it removed a boat that was participating in a sailboat parade celebrating Independence Day in New York Harbor, because it displayed what it described as 'political messages'.

The US Coast Guard reported that a boat belonging to the environmental organization 'Hudson River Sloop Clearwater' was forced to leave the 'Sail4th 250' parade in New York Harbor. The boat hoisted banners that read 'Save the Clean Water Act,' 'Indigenous rights, racial justice, and climate solutions,' according to Reuters news agency.

According to the Coast Guard, participants in the event agreed to refrain from displaying political messages or statements. It added that it enforced the agreement on behalf of the organizers of the 'Sail4th' event. The Coast Guard stated: 'The owner of the sloop Clearwater was contacted and asked to remove the displayed message or leave the sailing parade... but he refused to remove the message.'

For her part, Jane Benson, director of outreach and communications at 'Hudson River Sloop Clearwater,' disputed this account. She said the Coast Guard did not ask for the banners to be removed, but rather ordered the boat to leave the parade route or the crew would face arrest. Benson said: 'We do not consider calling for clean water to be a political message... People from various political orientations, and even those without any political affiliation, are fighting in the United States in different ways for clean water.'

'Sail4th 250' was one of the events organized by the 'Freedom 250' group, established 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 sailboats from 20 countries participated in the event, sailing through New York Harbor from an area near Sandy Hook in New Jersey up to the George Washington Bridge. According to the website of the environmental organization 'Hudson River Sloop Clearwater,' its mission is 'to protect the Hudson River by fostering a multi-generational community of river advocates through education, advocacy, sailing, and music.'