US Diplomat's Superyacht Arrival in Venice Outrages Locals

Activists in Venice plan to disrupt the July visit of the US ambassador to Italy, billionaire Tilman Fertitta. He is scheduled to arrive in the lagoon city on 17 July aboard his 117m superyacht Boardwalk as part of the "Coastal Diplomacy 250" cruise, which celebrates a quarter-century of US independence and relations between Rome and Washington.

According to The Guardian, the protesters hope to build on last year's success, when threats to release inflatable crocodiles into the canals forced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to change the venue of his lavish wedding.

Local residents fear that the $450m luxury vessel will dock in the historic center in the middle of the Festa del Redentore, one of the city's most important traditional festivals, which commemorates the end of the 16th-century plague epidemic.

According to activists, the six-deck yacht, standing 32m tall, would block the view of the festive fireworks from key vantage points such as Punta della Dogana and Riva dei Sette Martiri.

Activists sharply criticize the growing trend of Venice becoming merely a temporary backdrop for wealthy celebrities and politicians, while the quality of life for ordinary residents is rapidly declining due to a housing shortage and job insecurity.

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