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🇫🇯 Fiji /Culture & Society

Venice residents protest US envoy’s arrival on superyacht

From FBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta arrived in Venice on his superyacht, sparking protests against President Donald Trump's policies.
  • Around 300 demonstrators marched, holding signs and scuffling with police, while also expressing support for Palestinians.
  • The protest coincided with heightened security for the upcoming Festa del Redentore, raising concerns about mass tourism's impact on the fragile city.

Venice residents protested the arrival of U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta, who sailed into the lagoon city on his superyacht. The demonstration, which drew a few hundred people, was a protest against President Donald Trump's policies and the heightened security measures for the upcoming Festa del Redentore festival.

Fertitta must go

— ProtestersSlogan on posters held by demonstrators during the protest march in Venice.

Activists marched with signs bearing slogans like "Fertitta must go" and "No space for billionaires." They approached the yacht's anchorage but were stopped by police, leading to minor scuffles. The protesters also voiced solidarity with Palestinians, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Make America go away

— ProtestersSlogan on posters held by demonstrators during the protest march in Venice.

Fertitta, a billionaire businessman appointed by Trump, is on a "Freedom 250 Coastal Diplomacy Tour" aboard his 117-meter yacht, Boardwalk. The tour marks the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The yacht berthed at Riva dei Sette Martiri, near St. Mark's Square, under tight security.

Venice must not be used

— ProtestersSlogan on posters held by demonstrators during the protest march in Venice.

Organizers, including the Morion social center, view Fertitta as a symbol of Trump's policies, which they claim fuel conflicts and economic instability. Italy's Green and Left Alliance criticized the government for diverting police resources to protect Fertitta, calling them "bodyguards."

No space for billionaires

— ProtestersSlogan on posters held by demonstrators during the protest march in Venice.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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