Venice protesters clash with police over US ambassador's yacht

Police and demonstrators briefly clashed in Venice on Friday during a protest against the arrival of a mega-yacht owned by the US ambassador to Italy, Texan businessman Tilman Fertitta.

Several hundred protesters shouted slogans hostile to US policies in the Middle East and tried to get close to the yacht, which was guarded by masked police officers, local media footage showed.

The 117-metre Boardwalk entered Venice accompanied by Italian police speedboats and jet-skis. The visit was part of a tour of Italy's coastline organized by the ambassador to mark the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence.

Opposition deputies have criticized the taxpayer cost of the tour, saying each visit requires naval, coastguard and police units for security.

The organizers of Friday's protest denounced what they called the ambassador's arrogance and described it as a product of Trumpian politics. They said that, after the high-profile Venice wedding of US billionaire Jeff Bezos a year earlier, the ambassador's visit was another slight to local people, some of whom struggle financially.