Venice protest planned for US ambassador’s superyacht visit

Venice-based activists say they are organizing protests ahead of a planned visit by U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta, who is expected to arrive on the 117-meter superyacht Boardwalk as part of a longer coastal tour.

The planned demonstrations are framed as a response to what protesters see as the misuse of Venice’s historic center for high-profile displays of wealth. Organizers point to last year’s disruption of Jeff Bezos’s wedding celebrations as a model for how residents can draw attention to their grievances, and they say they plan to target the ambassador’s tour in a similar spirit.

Protesters say the timing is particularly sensitive because the visit is expected to coincide with the Festa del Redentore, one of Venice’s key annual events. They also argue that allowing a yacht of that size to enter or dock in the most visible areas would be a “slap in the face” to residents, especially amid local housing pressures and economic strain.

Alongside concerns about the spectacle and symbolism, activists also raise practical worries about security and policing, saying authorities may divert resources to protect the visiting diplomat and his vessel—potentially at the expense of other public needs.

The protests are being organized around a slogan aimed at rejecting the idea of “using” Venice for foreign luxury events, and organizers indicate they are considering a range of actions intended to disrupt the tour while keeping the focus on criticism of elite wealth and its impact on the city.