Why protesters have vowed to make Jeff Bezos's Venice wedding to Lauren Sanchez a 'nightmare'

Sky News

11 hours ago

Billionaire Jeff Bezos is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, in a glitzy multi-day event in Venice.
The couple have arrived in the city for three days of celebrations from Thursday to Saturday, which are estimated to cost up to €48m (£41m).
The main wedding party had reportedly been due to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday, but will now be held at the Arsenale, out of the city centre, according to Reuters news agency.
The guest list includes the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey and Mick Jagger, as well as pop star Katy Perry, who joined Ms Sanchez in the all-female celebrity crew that travelled to space in April.
They and other celebrity guests are set to join the couple for parties on the Amazon owner's super yacht, worth about $500m (£371m), which will dock in the port of Venice for the wedding, Sky TG24 in Italy reports.
But not everyone in the city is excited.
Why are there protests?
Protesters do not have an issue with the marriage itself but with what they say is the "privatisation" and "exploitation" of the city.
"He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there," said Alice Bazzoli, an activist with No Space for Bezos.
The group is a coalition of around a dozen Venetian organisations - including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups - and its name is a play on words also referring to the bride's recent space flight.
Members of the group have told Sky News that the event will close parts of the city and make it difficult for locals to get around, as well as posing environmental concerns with the use of yachts in the canals.
"This is not what Venice needs. This is not what a city that is already suffering from overtourism needs," Federica Toninelli, another activist associated with No Space for Bezos, said.
The city has long struggled with high tourism numbers.
Millions come to see the World Heritage Site for its medieval architecture, crammed into a picturesque canal network.
However, this pushes up the cost of living for locals and tends to create only low-paid temporary employment.
"It's going to bring money, yes, but we are not going to see any money," said Ms Toninelli.
The protests are also linked to wider issues around affordable housing and a dwindling local population in Venice's historic centre.
"Do we want our city even more invaded by tourists, by oligarchs, and people who buy and privatise the city, or do we want services, jobs, health services, schools, universities? Do we want to live in the city like normal people, or sell it to the best offer?" Ms Bazzoli added.
Activists from global environmental lobby Greenpeace and the UK group Everyone Hates Elon have joined the protests, with their focus on some of the wider issues raised by Bezos's critics around the world, such as purported tax breaks for him and fellow billionaires.
Mr Bezos has been contacted for comment.
What have protesters done so far - and what else are they planning?
Members of No Space for Bezos unfurled a massive banner on 12 June from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica with Bezos's name crossed out.
Then on Monday activists from Greenpeace and Everyone Hates Elon unveiled a huge banner in St Mark's Square with an image of Mr Bezos laughing and the caption: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax."
It appeared to be a nod to Amazon's ongoing tax disputes with European governments.
The local activists planned a more organised protest for Saturday, where they were aiming to stop guests from arriving at a party by blocking the canals with boats and their bodies.
But the plans have been altered since the party was reportedly moved to Arsenale, a 14th-century complex surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised.
Instead of the blockade there will be a march, with protesters pledging to make the event a "nightmare" for Mr Bezos and his guests.
What has the response been to the protests?
The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has said he is "honoured" that the city is hosting the event, adding: "Once again Venice proves to be a world stage."
"Those 20 people who are putting up posters are clearly capitalising on [Bezos's] image," he went on.
The city of Venice has previously denied that the event would disrupt locals, saying water taxi services would run normally and that only 200 guests had been invited.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding in numbers
€48m price tag
The wedding and its parts are expected to cost an eye-watering €40-48m (£34-£41m), Luca Zaia, the president of Venice's local government, said on Tuesday.
This includes sizeable charity donations from the Amazon founder, including €1m (£850k) to Corila, a consortium that studies Venice's lagoon ecosystem, local media has reported.
90 private jets
The first private jets began landing at Venice airport on Tuesday and there will be around 90 in total, Mr Zaia said.
They won't all be arriving in Venice though, as some will land at the nearby Treviso and Verona airports.
250 guests
Five of the city's most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host an estimated 200-250 guests.
These include the celeb favourite Cipriani, where George and Amal Clooney married in 2014.
30 water taxis
Attendees of course won't be hopping on public water buses to get around the city's many islands.
The wedding's organisers have booked at least 30 water taxis for them to use instead.
"Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts," a statement said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events.
It added that the city has previous experience of hosting big events successfully.
A Venetian environmental research association, Corila, issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an "important donation".
What other events has the cited hosted?
George and Amal Clooney famously got married there in 2014.
The actor arrived at his ceremony at the Aman Grande Canal Hotel on a boat, alongside guests including Matt Damon and model Cindy Crawford.
The city also hosted world leaders for the 2021 G20 summit, as well as its annual Venice Film Festival.
How does Venice place limits on tourists?
Venice has been struggling with the impacts of overtourism.
There were about 50,000 people living in the historic city centre in 2023 - and about 4.9 million tourist arrivals - according to the data gathering website Statista.
In 2024, it became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists, with officials carrying out random checks to make sure people beyond entry points have a QR code.
As it stands, those visiting between April and July for a day trip pay a standard fee of €5, unless they have booked less than four days before their visit, in which case they must pay double.
The city has also put in place a size limit of 25 people for tourist groups to reduce crowds.
Where else have there been tourist protests?
Venice isn't the only European city where locals are frustrated with tourist numbers.
Protesters in Barcelona sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations recently over the number of visitors.