Venice Protesters Claim Win as Jeff Bezos Moves Wedding Party from City Centre

Protesters in Venice say they’ve won a major victory after billionaire Jeff Bezos and his guests moved part of his wedding celebration out of the city centre. The wedding, between Bezos and TV presenter Lauren Sanchez, was expected to end with a grand event at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, but the celebration has now been shifted to the Arsenale, a site further from the heart of Venice.

Although the couple’s wedding plans were never officially made public, activists are celebrating the change in venue. “We are very proud of this! We are nobodies, we have no money, nothing!” said Tommaso Cacciari of the group No Space for Bezos. “We’re just citizens who started organising and we managed to move one of the most powerful people in the world all the billionaires out of the city.”

The wedding is set to begin later this week and is expected to draw a celebrity crowd, including Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, and members of the Trump family. Private jets are expected to fill up Venice’s airport, luxury yachts will take over parts of the harbour, and five hotels have been completely reserved. Reports also suggest former US Marines are being used for security.

The event has drawn protests from various groups, including environmental activists and Venetians angry about over-tourism. Some say Bezos’ presence in the city only adds to problems of rising costs, overcrowding, and environmental harm.

On Monday, a group called Everyone Hates Elon displayed a large banner in Piazza San Marco with Bezos’ face and the message: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding then you can pay more tax.” Greenpeace activist Simona Abbate added, “Our protest isn’t about the wedding itself it’s about what it represents. The richest live in excess, while others endure the consequences of a climate emergency they didn’t create.”

City officials have criticized the protests, saying they don’t reflect public opinion. “These protesters behave as if they own Venice but they don’t,” said city councillor Simone Venturini. He added that the 200-person guest list would bring “major economic benefits” to the city.

Despite this, activists plan more demonstrations this week, including a march on Saturday night. “Bezos comes to Venice only for the party,” said Cacciari. “He’s sending the message that all the city is a background for a party of billionaires.”