Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are forced to move Venice wedding party venue due to massive protests from locals
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and bride-to-be Lauren Sanchez 's have been forced to change one of the venues for their $48million Venice wedding because of 'rising global tensions', it was claimed today.
Their nuptials have already attracted huge controversy, with protests by locals angry at the couple for 'taking over the city' for the planned three day festivities.
A team of former U.S. marines has already been hired to provide security for the event by Bezos, which is due to take place over three days from June 26 in the iconic lagoon city.
The original plan was for a huge party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday night - but it has now been moved to another venue in the Arsenale area of the city, according to local media.
Il Gazzettino said the days leading to wedding would be 'tension filled' and the move to the venue was due to it being 'easier to control' as large scale protests are expected.
But they also added 'the winds of war and rising global tensions between the U.S. and Iran ' were also being taken into consideration - there is a large American airbase at Aviano just 50 miles away.
On Tuesday a meeting is due to take place between local authorities and police and security teams to discuss the wedding which has been greeted with fury by many Venetians.
Not welcome: Protesters display a banner reading 'No Space for Bezos!' on the Rialto Bridge
On Monday, Greenpeace activists unfurled a huge banner in St Mark's Square, the iconic heart of Venice, protesting against the wedding.
It showed an image of Bezos face and the slogan: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding then you can pay more tax.'
Activists from British group 'Everyone Hates Elon' were also involved and said they had carried it out to highlight the 'environmental and social injustice of the wedding'.
One said: 'Bezos encapsulates an economic and social model which is steering us towards collapse.
'All to often now social injustice travels on an equal par with the climate, on one side the arrogance of a few billionaires who have a lifestyle that devastates the planet, the other people who suffer daily from the environment crisis.'
Venice tourism councillor Simone Venturini told DailyMail.com: 'Venice is honored to host a private event like Jeff Bezos's wedding, chosen from destinations around the world for its singular beauty and character.
'This celebration highlights our city's international appeal and its capacity to welcome high-profile events with both discretion and efficiency.
'The objections voiced by a few dozen professional protesters - driven solely by a desire for media attention - do not represent the spirit of Venice; they reflect little more than social envy.
'Venice has always been - and remains - open, welcoming, and respectful, ready to embrace every visitor who honors our city's heritage.'
'Our heartfelt thanks to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez for their decision to donate substantial sums to organisations dedicated to safeguarding and protecting our lagoon.
'Now that's a genuine act of love for the city, unlike those contrived protests'.
Bezos, 61, is the world's third richest person with an estimated with of $221billion and is the founder of Amazon and space tech firm Blue Origin.
Hundreds of high-profile guests including members of the Trump family, Katie Perry, Oprah Winfrey, and Kim Kardashian are expected to attend and the wedding will take over the island of San Giorgio opposite the iconic St Mark's Square.
Campaign group No Space for Bezos has organized a huge protest for next Saturday with demonstrators being encouraged to bring googles and inflatables so they can dive into canals and disrupt taxis ferrying guests.
On its social media the group says: 'Jeff Bezos and his clique of super rich people are not welcome in Venice' adding that the city cannot be 'a showcase for the elite'.
Conversely a pro Bezos campaign group called 'Yes, Venice can' has formed in recent days welcoming the wedding for bringing funds and publicity to the city.
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That stake, around 3.4 per cent of the company, is likely to be worth over $30billion now, although it is not known exactly how much the couple still own. In 2023, the Amazon CEO relocated from Seattle to South Florida, revealing he wanted to be closer to his parents. 'My parents have always been my biggest supporters. They recently moved back to Miami, the place we lived when I was younger,' Bezos said. 'I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami. Also, Blue Origin's operations are increasingly shifting to Cape Canaveral.
