At Coast Guard Graduation, Kristi Noem Talks as Protesters Gather
Emilia Otte and Lisa Hagen, May 21, 2025, CT Mirror
As Coast Guard Academy cadets and their families arrived on the New London campus Wednesday morning for graduation, protesters filled nearby McKinley Park to voice their opposition to the academy’s commencement speaker, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Congratulations!” the protesters called out to the cadets and their family members as they passed by on the sidewalk. Some of the graduation attendees thanked the protesters for their presence outside the academy.
The protesters carried signs calling out various actions by the Trump administration, including the unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, the Trump administration’s cuts to veterans services, the recent federal budget proposal that includes cuts to Medicaid, the administration’s position on Ukraine and the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who played a strong role in pro-Palestinian protests.
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