10 hours ago
Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez wedding: I am ashamed, we will have to ....; says Venice Mayor as protesters target Amazon founder's wedding
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez first met in 2016 at an Amazon Studios party for Manchester by the Sea
The upcoming wedding of
Jeff Bezos
and
Lauren Sanchez
in Venice has polarized the city, with some residents protesting the event while others, including city officials, embrace it.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro
expressed strong support for the couple, stating, 'I want Jeff Bezos to be welcomed with open arms in Venice. Protesting against those who bring visibility and wealth to our territory is, in my opinion, a disgrace.' Brugnaro, speaking to reporters on Friday, added, 'We will have to apologize to Bezos. I am ashamed of those who behave like this. I hope that Bezos comes anyway. Not all Venetians think like these protesters," he told protestors.
At the Biennale of Architecture, a staple Venice event, sentiments aligned more with city officials. Görge Meyer, a visitor from Berlin, told CNN, 'It seems ridiculous that a city that lives off tourism like Venice wouldn't want an event like this, which will employ hundreds of people from waiters to water taxi drivers. All the guests and journalists will be staying at hotels, eating at restaurants and spending money.'
Gillian Longworth McGuire, an American travel writer living in Venice, noted the city's historical allure for high-profile weddings, saying, 'Venice just doesn't have a clear idea of what it is supposed to be sometimes. Is it a magical place carved out of a lagoon, built by merchants and fishermen, or a bachelorette party and mega wedding venue? The ethos of this city was always that it was the crossroads of culture and the world.'
Some locals bitter over Venice wedding
However, not all residents are welcoming. The 'No Space for Bezos' collective hung a banner with an X over Bezos's name on a belltower overlooking the Venice lagoon, which was removed Thursday. The group declared on Facebook, 'He's not welcome, not in Venice, not anywhere!' highlighting local resentment toward the event.
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