Venice Activists Protest Jeff⁣ Bezos Wedding, Claim city’s Exploitation

⁣ Updated June 18, 2025

Venice is bracing for‍ a celebrity wedding and a wave of protests. Activists are escalating their efforts to disrupt the planned wedding of Amazon founder⁢ Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, scheduled for next week. The “No Space for Bezos” ‍campaign highlights concerns that Venice is becoming a playground for the wealthy, impacting local residents.

The activists hung a banner on St. Mark’s Tower over the weekend, displaying “Bezos” with a red X. Similar banners and stickers have‍ appeared throughout Venice⁣ as part of⁣ the “No Space for Bezos” campaign. The activists are⁢ taking ⁢on the role of protectors of the city.

Federica Toninelli, a 33-year-old Venetian activist, described the wedding as “the symbol ⁤of the exploitation of the city by outsiders.”

Protesters are threatening to block canals and narrow streets, potentially preventing the 200 wedding guests from reaching party venues.The guest list reportedly includes Katy ⁣Perry, some of the Kardashians,‍ Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey, and Gayle King.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro expressed hope that the protests would not disrupt the wedding. “We will have to apologize to Bezos,” Brugnaro ‍said, adding he was “ashamed” of the protesters’ behavior ⁢and hoped bezos would proceed‍ with the wedding.

The Bezos-Sánchez wedding is poised to be the⁤ largest in ⁣Venice since George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin in 2014.

What’s next

The coming days will⁢ determine whether the protests succeed in disrupting ⁣the⁤ wedding plans ⁢or if Bezos and‍ Sánchez will celebrate their nuptials ⁤without a hitch. Security measures are expected to be heightened throughout Venice.