The U.S. Coast Guard stated that "politically-charged" messages led to the removal of a vessel belonging to an environmental organization from a fleet of sailing ships which gathered in New York on Saturday?to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The Coast Guard sent an email to inform that a ship belonging to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Environmental Organization was removed from the Sail4th 250 Parade in New York Harbor.

The ship was covered with banners reading "Save the Clean Water Act", "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions" and "Save 'the Clean Water Law".

The Coast Guard said that participants in the event agreed to refrain from displaying messages or statements with political overtones.

The Coast Guard reported that the owner of the Clearwater sloop was contacted to remove the message displayed on the sail or be removed. "They refused to remove it." Jen Benson is the director of advocacy at Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. She disputes this claim. She claimed that the Coast Guard had not asked for the messages be removed, but rather requested the ship to leave its sailing route. Benson stated that they did not feel like advocating for cleaner water was a political message. People on both sides of the aisle and from no side at all have fought for clean water in different ways. Freedom 250 organized Sail4th 250 as part of its celebrations for America's 250th Anniversary. Over?40 tall vessels from 20 countries took part in the event, which traveled through New York Harbor, from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to the George Washington Bridge. Hudson 'River sloop Clearwater website states that the group's goal is to "protect Hudson River through an intergenerational river advocate community by education, advocacy and sailing." (Reporting and editing by Sergio Non in New York, and Jamie Freed.)

(source: Reuters)