US Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta arrived in Venice aboard his 117-meter yacht Boardwalk, moored at Riva dei Sette Martiri on the occasion of the Festa del Redentore. The yacht's presence and the security perimeter set up around the area prevented citizens from freely accessing one of the most popular spots for watching the traditional fireworks display, prompting complaints from residents and citizens' committees.

On Friday evening, a protest march was held against the ambassador's presence, with participants chanting slogans such as 'Venezia non si USA.' According to organizers, over 500 people took part, coming from social centers across northeastern Italy. Other estimates put the number at around 300. Protesters attempted to approach the yacht but were blocked by a police cordon in riot gear deployed at Riva dei Sette Martiri. Scuffles, smoke flares, and shoving were reported, with no injuries. Police carried out a brief dispersal maneuver lasting a couple of minutes, after which the march moved toward the Biennale Gardens and then via Garibaldi, where it ended with speeches near the Serra dei Giardini.

The protest also touched on broader themes. Daniele Giordano, secretary of the CGIL in Venice, stated in a note that hosting the ambassador's yacht in the heart of the city during the Redentore festival represents, in his view, the opposite of environmental and social sustainability. The union's statement criticized a city economy based on speculative tourism, low wages, and rent-seeking.

The Festa del Redentore is a centuries-old Venetian tradition: families and groups of friends gather along the waterfront to set up long tables and dine together before the midnight fireworks. This year, the mooring of the yacht in one of the symbolic locations of the celebration altered the usual arrangements.