By Colleen Barry
The Associated Press
July 17, 2026 - 11:33 am
VENICE, Italy — The billionaire U.S. ambassador to Italy faced protests erstwhile helium arrived successful Venice connected Friday aboard his luxury yacht arsenic portion of a coastal diplomacy circuit marking the 250th day of American independence.
Activists described hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s accomplishment arsenic an unwelcome show of American wealthiness and power astatine a clip erstwhile galore Italians spot the Trump medication arsenic upending the post-World War II planetary order.
Protesters clash with police, shouting ‘Shame!”
Hundreds of protesters carrying inflatable excavation toys gathered adjacent to march toward the yacht that dwarfed buildings connected the banks of St. Mark’s Basin.
Signs work “Make America Read Again” and “Oligarch successful saor” — a notation to a Venetian specialty with sardines. There was a dense constabulary beingness connected foot, portion astatine slightest 3 constabulary boats circled the yacht and 2 lines of constabulary successful riot cogwheel blocked entree to the yacht.
Demonstrators clashed concisely with constabulary successful riot cogwheel erstwhile they refused to halt their march toward the ambassador’s yacht conscionable a fewer 100 meters (yards) away. Police pushed backmost with shields and inflatable toys flew done the air. The pb protesters had been walking with their arms successful the aerial to amusement they were peaceful.
After the clash, protesters yelled “Shame!” astatine the ambassador, the politician and the police.
Coastal diplomacy aboard a ace yacht
The alleged Coastal Diplomacy 250 circuit of 13 Italian coastal regions connected a ace yacht is intended to observe “our shared history, our economical partnership, and the taste bonds that marque the U.S.-Italy narration truthful special,” Fertitta said successful a societal media post.
Many of the aforesaid groups that protested the wedding of Jeff Bezos to Lauren Sanchez successful Venice past twelvemonth mobilized against Fertitta’s accomplishment aboard the 117-meter (384-foot) luxury yacht, Boardwalk, which features 2 helipads, a brace of swimming pools and a afloat equipped spa and gym.
On July 4, protestation organizers unfurled a banner speechmaking “Venezia non si USA,” which is simply a play connected words combining the Italian operation “Venice is not to beryllium used” with the acronym USA. The banner was arsenic agelong arsenic Fertitta’s yacht to exemplify what the protesters called “the dimensions of his arrogance.”
“It’s arrogant to deliberation helium tin bash what helium wants successful a metropolis that is ever much sold to the azygous civilization of tourism,” organizer Stella Morion told The Associated Press. She said protesters are besides opposed to President Donald Trump’s planetary politics, including U.S. strikes connected Iran, which she said person prompted a spike successful vigor prices.
“It is the umpteenth slap successful the look of a metropolis and each of the radical successful Venice who conflict to scope the extremity of the period owed to an summation successful prices caused by Trump’s war,” she said.
Fertitta declined a petition for an interrogation to sermon the circuit and the planned protest.
A hospitality mogul with Italian roots
The billionaire proprietor of Fertitta Entertainment was sworn successful arsenic ambassador to Italy successful 2025. He made his luck successful the hospitality industry, including restaurants, hotels and casinos. He besides owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets. His authoritative biography puts his nett worthy astatine $11.3 billion, portion Forbes ranks him among the 100 wealthiest Americans.
Fertitta Entertainment already has a important footprint successful the gaming and hospitality industry. The institution owns the Golden Nugget casino brand, including its downtown Las Vegas spot and further locations successful Nevada, and Fertitta separately holds a double-digit involvement successful Wynn Resorts Ltd.
In precocious May, Fertitta Entertainment Inc. announced it volition get Caesars successful an all-cash transaction valued astatine astir $17.6 billion, including the presumption of astir $11.9 cardinal successful outstanding debt. Caesars shareholders would person $31 per stock successful cash.
Details of who Fertitta volition conscionable portion successful Venice person not been released, but helium is expected to be the famed Redentore festival connected Saturday, which commemorates the extremity of the plague successful 1576 culminating with celebratory fireworks implicit St. Mark’s Basin.
He has already stopped implicit successful the Sicilian larboard municipality of Cefalu, wherever his family’s roots hint backmost to 1566, and met with the politician successful Palermo. Other stops person included the Calabrian larboard of Le Castella and sailed on the seashore of Puglia and up the Adriatic coastline to Venice.
A changing US-Italy relationship
Fertitta’s tenure includes navigating a cooling successful the erstwhile lukewarm narration betwixt Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Trump, who has made a bid of societal media attacks against her.
Meloni, who was erstwhile seen arsenic a adjacent Trump state with akin views connected specified issues arsenic immigration, did not be 250th celebrations astatine the U.S. Embassy.
English (US)·