Eco-Friendly Boat Barred from US Anniversary Parade

The US Coast Guard removed a vessel belonging to the environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater from a fleet of sailboats that had gathered in New York Harbor on Saturday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The vessel was expelled after displaying banners with slogans such as "Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions".

The Coast Guard described the banners as "politically charged" and said the ship's owners had violated the event's agreement to refrain from political statements. The crew refused a request to remove the banners.

Jen Benson, the organization's director of advocacy and communications, disputed this account. She said the Coast Guard did not ask the crew to remove the banners but instead ordered them to leave the shipping lane under threat of arrest. Benson added that the group does not consider advocacy for clean water to be a political message, noting that people across the political spectrum support it.

The Sail4th 250 parade formed part of the official celebrations, which featured more than 40 historic ships from 20 countries. The route ran from near Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to the George Washington Bridge. Clearwater's mission is to protect the Hudson River through environmental education, advocacy and sailing.

(Reuters, Max)