Activists with the international environmental group Greenpeace display a giant banner displaying a picture of Jeff Bezos in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square on Monday.
Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images
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Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images
Activists in Venice, Italy, are protesting the upcoming destination wedding of tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez, as reports of the event’s extreme extravagance divide the city.
Bezos — the Amazon founder and Washington Post owner — is one of the world’s richest men, with an estimated net worth of $231 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. He and Sánchez — a former news anchor and licensed pilot — got engaged in 2023, four years after going public with their relationship.
Their nuptials have been the subject of speculation and intense secrecy ever since.
After returning from the brief — and widely panned — all-female spaceflight she organized on one of Bezos’ Blue Origin rockets in April, Sánchez quipped that she had to make it back safely for her wedding, otherwise “that would be a bummer for me.”
Sánchez’s brother Paul has compared it to the 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, telling TMZ in March, “I think it’s gonna be like a Princess Di thing.”
While precise details about the wedding remain under wraps, Italian media and global newswires report it will be held in Venice in late June. Reports of a multiday, multimillion-dollar affair — is expected to draw hundreds of celebrants to a fragile lagoon city already grappling with overtourism — sparked concerns in Italy.
In March, the city of Venice denied media reports that wedding organizers had reserved large numbers of gondolas and water taxis for the event, which had fueled fears of disruptions for the tourists and locals who use them for daily transport.
Venetian officials said there would be only 200 guests, an easily accommodated number for a city used to hosting all sorts of political summits, cultural events and VIP weddings (including George and Amal Clooney’s in 2014).
“We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said, according to the Associated Press.
But that hasn’t stopped protesters from making their disapproval known. Activists rallying under the “No Space for Bezos” movement are coming together to protest what they see as the privatization of their city and the local government’s focus on tourism over the needs of residents. The movement, which includes groups like Greenpeace Italy and “Everyone Hates Elon [Musk],” has been vocal in their opposition to the lavish wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice. They have hung banners and posters across the city, calling out Bezos for his perceived disregard for the community. Despite pushback from the wedding organizers, activists remain steadfast in their mission to hold the wealthy accountable for their actions. The ship, known as the Koru, has previously made headlines in 2022 when the Dutch city of Rotterdam considered temporarily dismantling a historic bridge to allow it to leave the shipyard where it was built. However, this plan was reversed after residents protested, with some even threatening to egg the ship. It’s about time to demand that the super-rich be taxed and held accountable for the havoc they wreak – the world is not their personal playground.
What has been the reaction to the protests in response? Venice’s mayor, Brugnaro, expressed his embarrassment over the protesters, stating that they owe Bezos an apology. He hopes that Bezos will still attend the event, as not all Venetians share the views of the protesters.
The organizers of the wedding, Lanza & Baucina Limited, have made efforts to minimize any negative impact on the lives of Venetians and visitors to the city.
In addition, Bezos has generously donated to Venetian charities, including a significant contribution to Corila, an organization that studies Venice’s lagoon ecosystem. This donation was made well before the protests began.
According to reports, historic Venetian companies such as Rosa Salva and Laguna B will also be contributing to the wedding festivities. Antonio Rosa Salva, the sixth-generation owner of the bakery, is honored to provide treats for the guests and does not believe that an event with 200 people will cause disruptions.
Overall, the debate surrounding the future of Venice continues, with Bezos’ wedding shining a spotlight on the city and its challenges. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold as the event approaches. content to make it easier to understand:
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