'No space for Bezos': Venetians protest Amazon founder's grandiose wedding plan
As Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, prepare for a lavish, star-studded wedding in Venice, not everyone in the Italian city is happy about the impending nuptials.
"No space for Bezos," a sign read at a protest by residents who say the famed canal city is already overrun by tourists, billionaires, or otherwise.
Protesters say their issue is with the happy couple and authorities, like Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who said he was "ashamed" by the protests.
"We want to send a very clear message: The ones who should be ashamed are them," protester Federica Toninello told Reuters. "They are the people who have destroyed this city."
Venice's two-square-mile main island and historic center, home to about 50,000 people, receives about 20 million visitors yearly, mostly day-trippers from cruise ships or other cities. While tourism is central to Venice's economy and cultural identity, critics say it has displaced residents and damaged historic sites.
Venetians' wedding wariness comes as demonstrators across Southern Europe rallied over the weekend against mass tourism. Residents protested on the Spanish island of Mallorca and in Spanish cities such as Barcelona — where tourists were spritzed with water guns — as well as in Venice and Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
Officials in Venice are aware of the problem, and last year Brugnaro introduced a daily entrance fee of 5 euros ($5.79).
But Brugnaro and others are rolling out the red carpet for Bezos, the world's fourth-richest person after fellow tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Brugnaro said Bezos had "achieved great things on a global level" and that the city was "extremely proud" to host him.
"It is an honor that he is coming to Venice," he said.
Though details of the Bezos-Sánchez wedding are top secret, according to Vogue, the guest list could include celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Katy Perry — Sánchez's crewmate on an April spaceflight by Bezos' Blue Origin — and at least some of the Kardashians.
In a statement to NBC News, city hall officials said regular taxi and water transports would continue during the wedding festivities, which are reportedly set to begin June 24.
Officials said only about 30 of the 280 water taxis have been reserved, and only three or four hotels will be used for the event.
"The city is fully accustomed to hosting high-profile events of this nature and scale, including other celebrity weddings, international summits such as the G7 and G20, as well as traditional events like the Festa del Redentore and the Venice Biennale," the statement said.
City officials added that "the celebrations, attended by 250 guests, will blend into the daily rhythm of a city that, with dignity and respect, welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world while safeguarding the quality of life for its residents, workers, and students."
"Protest initiatives are in no way representative of the majority of citizens, who are proud that Venice has been chosen as the wedding location," the statement added.
Amal Alamuddin.
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