Overview
The U.S. Coast Guard removed a vessel belonging to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater from the Sail4th 250 parade in New York Harbor on Saturday after the ship displayed banners the Coast Guard described as "politically charged." According to the Coast Guard, the action followed an agreement among event participants to refrain from displaying political or politically charged messages.
Coast Guard account
In a written statement, the Coast Guard said the Clearwater carried banners reading "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions." The agency said it acted to enforce the no-political-message agreement on behalf of Sail4th, the organizer of the parade of sail.
The statement said the owner of the sloop Clearwater was contacted and given a choice: remove the displayed messages or be removed from the parade. When the owner declined to remove the banners, the Coast Guard carried out the removal from the event.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater response
Jen Benson, director of advocacy and communications at Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, disputed the Coast Guard's version of events. She said the Coast Guard did not request that the banners be taken down. Instead, she said, the Coast Guard asked the ship to leave the designated sailing route or face the prospect of arrest.
Benson characterized the organization’s display as advocacy for clean water and said it should not be viewed as a politically charged message. She noted, as reflected in her comments, that people across the political spectrum and those unaffiliated with any party have advocated for clean water.
Event context
Sail4th 250 was one of several activities organized by Freedom 250, a group created by the Trump administration to plan events marking the country’s 250th anniversary. The parade of sail included more than 40 tall ships from 20 foreign countries navigating through New York Harbor, traveling from a point near Sandy Hook, New Jersey, up to the George Washington Bridge.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s website describes the group’s mission as protecting the Hudson River by building an intergenerational community of river advocates through education, advocacy, sailing, and music.
What to watch
The incident highlights a dispute between an environmental advocacy organization and maritime authorities about what constitutes a political message in the context of a coordinated celebratory event. Accounts differ on whether the Coast Guard sought removal of banners or ordered the vessel to divert from the parade route under threat of arrest.