Rome —
Around 300 protesters clashed with riot police in Venice on Friday evening over the arrival of US ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta’s $450 million mega yacht Boardwalk during the city’s annual Redentore (Redeemer) festival, police said.
Fertitta, a close ally of and donor to US President Donald Trump, has been cruising around Italy this summer with his family and some staff on his private yacht as part of what he calls a “coastal diplomacy” effort to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, according to his social media.
His arrival was greeted in Venice by protesters holding signs saying “Venice is not for sale” and insulting Trump. Police were seen pushing back protesters who were trying to reach the ambassador’s ship. Many held signs with photos of Trump, some threw inflatable pool toys at police, others used megaphones to yell insults at the American administration.
Daniele Giordano, secretary of the CGIL union in Venice, told those who had gathered that it was “a disgrace” that Venice was welcoming Fertitta’s mega yacht during the festival, and that its presence “represents the exact opposite of our idea of environmental and social sustainability.”
