Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Venice wedding to Lauren Sánchez has been triggering several protests in the historic sinking city, with activist groups staging demonstrations and aiming to obstruct access to the city’s famed canals.
While activists belonging to the “No Space For Bezos” group do not have an issue with the marriage itself, the common feeling is that Venice is being privatized and exploited, and that the “wedding of the century” only highlights the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots.
The protests were even galvanized this week by Greenpeace and their huge banner on St Mark’s Square, which read: “IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.”
Greenpeace’s initiative aimed to highlight the “social and climate injustice” of such events, adding that Bezos “embodies an economic and social model that is leading us towards collapse.
The organisation stated that lifestyles fuelled by “the arrogance of a few billionaires” are devastating for the planet.
The local activists had planned a protest for Saturday, aiming to obstruct access to canals with boats – in order to prevent guests from reaching the wedding venue.
However, these plans were modified after they claimed an “enormous victory”.
Indeed, their actions have pressured organisers to change the lavish wedding venue from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia to the Arsenale – the famous complex of shipyards beyond Venice’s congested centre, which is surrounded by fortified walls.
According to local press reports, the venue switch has been described as a necessary change because of security concerns, after the US joined the war between Israel and Iran – and with Ivanka Trump being on the guest list.
Regardless, the group “No Space For Bezos” are celebrating and have ditched their plans to use inflatable crocodiles to fill the canals, in order to block their celebrity guests from entering.
It would have been a brilliant visual… Instead, activists said that they will organise a “no Bezos, no war” march.
“It will be a strong, decisive protest, but peaceful,’’ said Federica Toninello, an activist with the Social Housing Assembly network. “We want it to be like a party, with music, to make clear what we want our Venice to look like.”
Another important change of plan concerns Bezos’ superyacht Koru and its support vessel Abeona, which is equipped with a helicopter deck and dedicated staff. The vessels have remained anchored in the Upper Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Slovenia. No entry into the lagoon is expected.
As mentioned in our Everything You Need To Know About The Bezos Wedding article, private jets are expected to jam up Venice airport, while five of Venice’s most luxurious hotels have been booked for the guests.
Bezos is said to be spending between $7million – $10 million for the three-day celebrations, and among the 200 carefully selected guests, A-list stars like Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian will be in attendance.
The most anticipated moment will be the ceremony on Friday 27 June on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The guests will visit the historic cloisters that now house the Cini Foundation, and then head to the Teatro Verde, an open-air amphitheatre made of white Vicenza stone with boxwood hedges. There, Bezos and Sánchez will say “yes”.
The evening will reportedly end with a fireworks display that will light up the stretch of water in front of St Mark’s Square.
The following day, on 28 June, a party will take place at the Arsenale… All with reinforced security. There have been rumours that Lady Gaga and/or Elton John will be providing the entertainment.
The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has tried to reassure protesters regarding the extravagance of the wedding, stating that Venice is more than capable of hosting the event. He cited the Venice Film Festival and G7 Summit as examples.
Brugnaro also said he was “ashamed of those who behave like this” – in reference to the protesters.
For more information on the Bezos- Sánchez wedding, including details on celebrity guests, the fashion of the event and more on the protests, clickhere for the full lowdown.
Additional sources • Corriere della Sera, AP, New York Times
