News summary produced by Claude AI
Several hundred demonstrators gathered in Venice on Friday to protest the arrival of Tilman Fertitta’s 117-meter luxury yacht, Boardwalk, which was mooring in St. Mark’s Basin. The protesters, carrying inflatable toys and signs with messages including “Venezia non si USA” and “Make America Read Again,” briefly clashed with riot police as they attempted to approach the vessel. Police used shields to block the demonstrators, who maintained they were peaceful throughout the confrontation.
Fertitta, sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Italy in 2025, is conducting a “Coastal Diplomacy 250” tour along Italian coastal regions to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence and celebrate U.S.-Italy relations. The billionaire made his fortune in the hospitality industry and also owns the Houston Rockets basketball team. In a statement, Fertitta expressed support for the right to peaceful protest and stated the tour aims to celebrate shared history and cultural bonds between the nations.
Activists organizing the demonstration expressed opposition to what they characterized as American wealth and influence in Venice. Protest organizer Stella Morion criticized the ambassador’s presence in a city struggling with overtourism and stated that demonstrators also opposed Trump administration foreign policy, specifically citing U.S. military actions against Iran and resulting energy price increases affecting local residents. Activist Emanuele Lepore drew parallels to previous efforts to restrict large vessels from Venice’s waterways, viewing the yacht’s presence as contradicting those environmental and preservation goals.
Political analyst Giovanni Orsina noted that using a personal yacht for diplomatic purposes represents an unusual approach to ambassadorial duties, though it could be interpreted either negatively or as demonstrated attention to the host country. Fertitta’s ambassadorship occurs amid reported cooling relations between Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Trump, who has made social media attacks against her. Meloni declined to attend 250th anniversary celebrations at the U.S. Embassy. Fertitta is expected to attend the Redentore festival in Venice on Saturday.