NEW LONDON — A group of about 100 peaceful — but emotional — protesters, most of who gathered to decry violence against Palestinians, chanted and held homemade signs a few feet from the entrance of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Wednesday morning ahead of President Joe Biden’s commencement address to 240 graduating cadets. The group, many bearing images of the Palestinian flag, saw their ranks swell outside the entrance of New London’s McKinley Park minute by minute as the clock ticked down to Biden’s arrival by helicopter at approximately 10:45 a.m. — his first trip to the state since his inauguration. James Flores, 64, of Willimantic, was the first to show up at the park, but came with messages shared by the majority of his fellow protesters: Stop the violence against Palestinians and divert military spending to address social ills.