Trump’s envoy faces protests in Venice on latest stop of super yacht diplomacy tour
VENICE: The billionaire US ambassador to Italy faced protests when he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Activists described hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival as an unwelcome display of American wealth and influence for many Italians at a time when they see the Trump administration as upending the post-World War II international order.
Hundreds of protesters carrying inflatable pool toys gathered nearby to march toward the yacht that dwarfed buildings on the banks of St. Mark’s Basin. Signs read “Make America Read Again” and “Oligarch in saor,” a reference to a Venetian specialty with sardines. There was a heavy police presence on foot, with some in riot gear, while at least three police boats circled the yacht.
The so-called Coastal Diplomacy 250 tour of 13 Italian coastal regions on a super yacht is intended to celebrate “our shared history, our economic partnership, and the cultural bonds that make the US-Italy relationship so special,” Fertitta said in a social media post.
