Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' ‘wedding of the century'
One group has plastered banners on the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading 'No space for Bezos' and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism.
'Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue,' said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the 'No space for Bezos' campaign.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have argued the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals.
Actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice 11 years ago, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations.
At that time locals and tourists were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest.
Bezos, 61, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott.
After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed 'the wedding of the century', Brugnaro confirmed in March it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city.
The date is expected to be between June 23 and 28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations.
In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' daily life.
Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Reuters
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IOL News
a day ago
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Bezos' big day hits snag as Venice protesters plot croc-block surprise
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez having changed their wedding venue after residents threatened to fill the city's canals with inflatable crocodiles Image: XAVIER DUVOT / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP Jeff Bezos has been forced to move his Venice wedding party after protesters threatened to fill the city's canals with inflatable crocodiles to prevent guests from arriving. The Amazon tycoon had been set to hold a party at a 16th century hall in the heart of the Italian city as part of the celebrations for his wedding to Lauren Sanchez this week but the pair are now said to be moving the bash to a more secure location following angry protests by residents who have accused the billionaire of shutting down Venice. Protestor Tommaso Cacciari is quoted by The Times newspaper as saying: "Bezos is on the run – this is a crazy victory for a small group of people with no money who went up against one of the richest men on the planet." Bezos and Sanchez's three-day nuptials are set to be attended by A-listers including reality star Kim Kardashian, talk show host Gayle King and Microsoft boss Bill Gates but various groups have joined forces under the 'No Space for Bezos' banner to protest against the lavish ceremony that they claim epitomises how Venice has lost its soul to tourism. However, the rival group 'Yes Venice Can' – made up of hoteliers, restaurant owners and business associations - is determined to give the 61-year-old businessman and his wife a memorable experience in the city. The group said in a statement: "We cannot allow a noisy minority to discredit the image of this city in the eyes of the world. "We will put on the very best welcome for Bezos, as we always do for those who choose Venice as a holiday destination or as a backdrop to big events. Venice is a city that welcomes people – it doesn't turn them away." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "No Space For Bezos" protestors in Venice, Italy. Image: YouTube Activists had protested against the wedding on Monday by unfurling a banner in St Mark's Square that read: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax." The demonstration was organised by Greenpeace and the British campaign group Everyone Hates Elon. Greenpeace campaigner Clara Thompson said: "While Venice is sinking under the weight of the climate crisis, billionaires are partying like there is no tomorrow on their mega-yachts. "This isn't just about one person – it's about changing the rules so no billionaire can dodge responsibility, anywhere. "The real issue is a broken system that lets billionaires skip out on taxes while everyone else is left to foot the bill. That's why we need fair, inclusive rules – and they must be written at the UN." AFP
The Herald
2 days ago
- The Herald
Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' ‘wedding of the century'
One group has plastered banners on the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading 'No space for Bezos' and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism. 'Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue,' said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the 'No space for Bezos' campaign. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have argued the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals. Actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice 11 years ago, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations. At that time locals and tourists were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest. Bezos, 61, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott. After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed 'the wedding of the century', Brugnaro confirmed in March it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city. The date is expected to be between June 23 and 28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations. In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' daily life. Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez. Reuters
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' ‘wedding of the century'
One group has plastered banners on the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading 'No space for Bezos' and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism. 'Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue,' said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the 'No space for Bezos' campaign. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have argued the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals. Actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice 11 years ago, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations. At that time locals and tourists were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest. Bezos, 61, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott. After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed 'the wedding of the century', Brugnaro confirmed in March it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city. The date is expected to be between June 23 and 28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations. In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' daily life. Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez.
