The U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday (Saturday) that it removed a boat that was participating in a sailboat parade celebrating Independence Day in New York Harbor for displaying what it described as 'messages of a political nature'.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a boat belonging to the environmental organization 'Hudson River Sloop Clearwater' was forced to leave the 'Sail Forth 250' parade in New York Harbor. The boat raised signs reading 'Save the Clean Water Act', 'Indigenous rights, racial justice, climate solutions', according to the Reuters news agency.

According to the Coast Guard, participants in the event agreed to refrain from displaying political or politically themed messages or statements, adding that it enforced what was agreed upon on behalf of the organizers of the 'Sail Forth' event. 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 its part, Jen Benson, director of outreach and communications at the 'Hudson River Sloop Clearwater' organization, questioned this account. She said the Coast Guard did not ask to remove the signs, but rather asked the boat to leave the parade route or its crew would face arrest. Benson said: 'We do not consider the call for clean water to be a political message... People of different political orientations, and even without any political affiliation, are fighting in the United States in various ways for clean water.'

The 'Sail Forth 250' was one of the events organized by the 'Freedom 250' group, created by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to plan celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The event featured more than 40 large sailboats from 20 countries, sailing through New York Harbor from an area near Sandy Hook in New Jersey 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, outreach, sailing, and music.'