‘Shame!’: Trump’s Envoy Faces Protests In Venice During Super Yacht Diplomacy Tour
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Several hundred protesters marched against the arrival of the billionaire American ambassador’s luxury yacht in Venice on Friday, briefly clashing with riot police as it approached the ship.
Activists have described the arrival of hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta as an unwelcome display of American wealth and influence at a time when many Italians see it as such. Trump administration Subverting the post-World War II international order.
Protesters clashed with police, shouting ‘Shameful’.
They marched with inflatable water toys and beach balls behind a sign that read “Venezia non si USA,” with the acronym for the United States written in capital letters, in a play on words meaning “Venice should not be used.”
Protesters raised their arms to show they were peaceful when they reached the double line of riot police blocking the entrance to the superyacht, but when the demonstrators refused to stop, police pushed back with their shields. Inflatable toys flew in the air. After the clash, protesters chanted “Shameful!” he shouted. in the ambassador, the mayor and the police.
Coastal diplomacy on a superyacht
Fertitta arrived in Venice early Friday and docked in the San Marco Basin as part of a coastal diplomacy tour. The 250th anniversary of America’s independence. Police boats were stationed around the yacht, which dwarfed the buildings on the shore of the lagoon, and a heavy police presence accompanied the demonstrators, who carried banners reading “Make America Read Again” and “The Oligarch is on Saor,” a reference to a Venetian sardine specialty.
The purpose of the Coastal Diplomacy 250 tour of 13 Italian coastal regions aboard the superyacht is to celebrate “our shared history, economic partnership, and cultural ties that make the U.S.-Italy relationship so special,” Fertitta said in a social media post.
Fertitta declined a request for an interview to discuss the tour and planned protest, but released a brief statement supporting the right to protest.
“I love Italians, we Americans respect the right to free speech and the right to peaceful protest; Coastal Diplomacy celebrates the founding of our nation and these fundamental rights,” Fertitta said in a statement, adding that the tour “is a great way for me to meet Italians from all walks of life and celebrate 250 years of U.S. independence and decades of friendship with Italy.”
Venice regains strength against oligarchs
Many of the same groups protesting in Venice Jeff Bezos’ wedding to Lauren Sanchez last year Fertitta’s 117-meter (384-foot) luxury yacht, which features two helipads, a pair of swimming pools and a fully-equipped spa and gym, has been set in motion for its arrival at the Boardwalk.
On July 4, protest organizers unfurled a banner as tall as Fertitta’s yacht, depicting the “extent of arrogance” of protesters.
“It’s arrogant to think you can do whatever you want in a city that’s ever more sold on a monotourism culture,” organizer Stella Morion told The Associated Press. He said the protesters also oppose President Donald Trump’s international policies, including U.S. attacks on Iran, which he said have led to a rise in energy prices.
“This is a countless slap in the face of a city and all the people of Venice that are struggling to make it to the end of the month due to the rise in prices caused by Trump’s war,” he said.
Protesters were stunned by the sight of the yacht, which is six stories tall and taller than neighboring buildings. “This is disgusting,” said activist Tommaso Cacciari.
Another activist, Emanuele Lepore, said that the presence of the yacht, which rose after a long fight, caused him “primarily anger”. ban cruise ships From the Giudecca Canal and the historical centre.
Luca Bruno via Associated Press
“It is a shame to see that such a large ship could remain in the Venice lagoon,” Lepore said. “The message is pretty clear: There needs to be local oligarchs so that new oligarchs can move around and normalize war and fascism.”
A hospitality emperor of Italian origin
The billionaire owner of Fertitta Entertainment was sworn in as ambassador to Italy in 2025. he made his fortune In the hospitality industry, including restaurants, hotels and casinos. He is also the owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. His official biography lists his net worth as $11.3 billion, and Forbes lists him among the 100 richest Americans.
Details about who Fertitta will meet in Venice have not yet been released, but he is expected to attend Saturday’s famous Redentore festival, which commemorates the end of the plague in 1576 and culminates in fireworks celebrations over St. Mark’s Basin.
He stopped by the Sicilian port city of Cefalu, where his family’s roots date back to 1566, and met with the governor in Palermo. Other stops included Calabria’s port of Le Castella, and sailed along the coast of Puglia and along the Adriatic coastline towards Venice.
Photo: Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty Images
Political analyst Giovanni Orsina said the image of an ambassador sailing off the coast of Italy for diplomacy purposes was “fairly new”.
“It is certainly unusual for an ambassador to do this kind of roving diplomacy, using his own resources and his yacht. On the one hand, this could be perceived negatively, but it could also be taken as a sign of interest in the country,” said Orsina, head of the Department of Political Science at Luiss University of Rome.
Fertitta’s tenure includes navigation a cooling In the once warm relationship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Trump, who has launched a series of social media attacks on her. Meloni, who was once considered a close political ally in Europe and has similar views on issues such as immigration, did not attend the 250th celebrations at the US Embassy.
