by InTrieste
As Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez prepare to celebrate their forthcoming wedding in Venice later this month, their presence has stirred up something less than amore among locals: outrage.
Activists have begun staging demonstrations across the city, accusing the billionaire Amazon founder and his fiancée of turning the iconic lagoon into a playground for the global elite — and igniting fresh debate about mass tourism, inequality, and the commercialization of historic cities.
Earlier this week, members of the grassroots collective No Space for Bezos unfurled a massive banner bearing the name “Bezos” crossed out in red from the bell tower of the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore — a dramatic gesture that played out against the backdrop of one of Venice’s most recognizable landmarks.
In a statement, the group declared, “Venice is not for sale. It is not for rent. It is not the backdrop for the wedding of one of the richest men in the world.” The protest, they said, arose “from the anger of those who refuse to allow Venice to be used as a stage for the celebrations of the global elite, while the city sinks under the weight of luxury tourism, speculation, and the sell-off of common heritage.”
Posters denouncing the June 26–29 celebration have been plastered across the city in anticipation of what’s expected to be a star-studded affair. Rumored guests include Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.
The activists’ ire is not only directed at Bezos, but also at Venice’s political leadership. The group criticized what it called the “corrupt administration” of the city, accusing it of enabling a spectacle that will “take over parts of Venice” and further strain its fragile ecosystem and infrastructure.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro responded forcefully. “I am ashamed of those who behave in this way,” he told Corriere della Sera. “These are very few people who only want visibility and to be in the newspapers. I hope Bezos knows that the city does not think this way and that he comes anyway.”
But the opposition shows no signs of abating. No Space for Bezos has organized a public demonstration set for Friday afternoon near the Rialto Bridge. The goal, the group says, is “to build together the response to the excessive power of the oligarchs — from local to global ones.”
Venice, which has long struggled with the impacts of overtourism, cruise ship congestion, and soaring real estate prices, recently began charging visitors a tourist tax in a bid to manage the flow of day-trippers. Yet critics argue that symbolic measures do little to stem the deeper problem of the city’s gentrification and commodification.
As the billionaire couple prepares to say “I do” in the city of canals, many Venetians are hoping the world hears a louder message: not everyone is celebrating.
