'Eat the rich': Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding
VENICE: At least 500 protesters marched through Venice on Saturday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city.
"Bezos, out of the lagoon", the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: "Eat the rich", "Rejected", and accusations that Venice's mayor is "corrupt".
The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the "No place for Bezos" group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city.
"We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land," said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with "No Space for Bezos" who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV.
Protesters later unfurled a large "No place for Bezos" banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal.
Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that "Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's".
"We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in," he added.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square.
The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball Saturday night -- as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image.
Guests included Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, American football star Tom Brady, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. - AFP
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Malay Mail
15 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘Eat the rich': Protesters protest Bezos-Sanchez wedding in Venice, decrying wealth and environmental impact
VENICE, June 29 — At least 500 protesters marched through Venice yesterday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city. 'Bezos, out of the lagoon', the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: 'Eat the rich', 'Rejected', and accusations that Venice's mayor is 'corrupt'. The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the 'No place for Bezos' group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city. 'We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land,' said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with 'No Space for Bezos' who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV. Protesters later unfurled a large 'No place for Bezos' banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. People take part in a protest 'No Space for Bezos' a day after the wedding ceremony of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice, at Venice's train station on June 28, 2025. — AFP pic Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that 'Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's'. 'We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in,' he added. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball last night — as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image. Guests included Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, American football star Tom Brady, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. — AFP
New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- New Straits Times
'Eat the rich': Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding
VENICE: At least 500 protesters marched through Venice on Saturday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city. "Bezos, out of the lagoon", the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: "Eat the rich", "Rejected", and accusations that Venice's mayor is "corrupt". The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the "No place for Bezos" group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city. "We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land," said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with "No Space for Bezos" who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV. Protesters later unfurled a large "No place for Bezos" banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that "Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's". "We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in," he added. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball Saturday night -- as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image. Guests included Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, American football star Tom Brady, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. - AFP
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Venice protests target Bezos over mounting grievances
ROME (Reuters) -Mass tourism, impossibly high rents, worker exploitation, inequality and elitism: Venice, Italy's protests in recent days against Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's high-profile wedding have highlighted growing global grievances. Local politicians dismissed protesters as a fringe minority. Bezos's fame and Venice's stunning visual backdrop have offered them international visibility which they effectively exploited. "No Space for Bezos" banners draped over the iconic Rialto Bridge and a huge canvas laid out on St Mark's Square urging the tech billionaire to pay more taxes have been seen all over the world. Concerns of greater disruptions forced Bezos and his bride to move their final and biggest celebrity party from the central district to a more isolated venue in the eastern part of the lagoon city. "The idea that the city should be seen as a set, a stage, or an amusement park has been highlighted like never before by Bezos' wedding," Tommaso Cacciari, a frontman for the No Space for Bezos movement, told Reuters. In the final protest on Saturday, around 1,000 residents and activists rallied in front of Venice's train station under a scorching sun, before marching roughly 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) to the Rialto Bridge. They carried banners including one proclaiming 'Kisses yes, Bezos no', playing on Venice's reputation as the city of love, and another one saying 'No space for Bezos' with a rocket, in a reference to his Blue Origin space technology company. Venetian businesses and politicians, however, welcomed the event, hailing its major boost for the local economy. Luca Zaia, the regional governor of Veneto around Venice, said the city should be proud of hosting the wedding. TRUMP TIES Alice Bazzoli, a 24-year-old university student, called Bezos a "hypocrite" for donating 3 million euros ($3.5 million) to Venice while flooding its fragile ecosystem with high-polluting private jets and yachts. Bezos and Sanchez have given 1 million euros each to three Venetian institutions: CORILA, an academic consortium that studies the lagoon, UNESCO's local office, and Venice International University. "I'd love Venice to be tailored for citizens, not for tourists, with affordable housing," Bazzoli told Reuters, complaining that students were being priced out of the market, with the best accommodations offered to visitors. Andrea Segre, a 49-year-old Italian film director born in Venice, said the city was also pushing out ordinary residents. "People aged 25 to 35 — the age group that starts families — cannot afford to live in Venice. The consequence is a lack of diversity and social liveliness," he said. Venice is rapidly depopulating, largely because of the cost of living crisis. Its historic city centre now has fewer than 50,000 residents, compared to more than 100,000 some 50 years ago. The city has hosted scores of other VIP weddings, including that of actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, but the latest luxury nuptials have attracted far greater resentment because of Bezos' corporate and political role. The Amazon founder is the world's fourth richest man, and has developed ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were in attendance at the wedding. "Bezos is the embodiment of the most absolute wealth gained through the exploitation of everything around you," 28-year-old student Giulia Cacopardo told Reuters in the run-up to Saturday's march. In Italy, the e-commerce giant has faced criticism and strikes from trade unions over labour practices, and scrutiny over tax compliance. Reuters reported in February that Italian prosecutors were investigating alleged tax evasion worth 1.2 billion. "I would have protested against Bezos even if he had come on a rowboat with just a handful of people ... because he contributed practically, materially and politically to Donald Trump's re-election," protest leader Cacciari said. ($1 = 0.8533 euros) (Writing by Angelo Amante; editing by Alvise Armellini and Diane Craft)
