Protesters gather at Quonset as Defense Secretary Hegseth visits

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Protesters gathered outside Quonset Point in North Kingstown on Monday morning as Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, made a brief visit to General Dynamics Electric Boat.

The visit, which was not open to the media, included a tour of classified areas of the shipyard, according to an Electric Boat spokesperson. Despite the low-profile nature of the stop, demonstrators were visible outside the facility during Hegseth’s time at Quonset.

Hegseth’s stop in Rhode Island was part of the Department of Defense’s nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, which is focused on defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The tour emphasizes accelerating defense production, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and expanding long-term contracts with industry.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed said the visit allowed Hegseth to view critical defense manufacturing firsthand. Reed noted he was invited to attend but declined due to a prior commitment.

Following the Quonset Point stop, Hegseth departed Rhode Island and continued on to Maine, where his tour includes additional defense industry visits and a military enlistment ceremony.