Venice Protesters Claim Victory After Jeff Bezos Moves Wedding Celebration Amid Public Outcry
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
Protesters in Venice are declaring a major win after billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wedding guests were forced to relocate part of their lavish celebration away from the city's historic center, following days of mounting local dissent.
The three-day wedding festivities for Bezos and television presenter Lauren Sanchez were initially set to culminate in a high-profile event at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday. However, amid rising tensions and vocal protests, the celebration has been moved to the Arsenale, a venue farther from central Venice, according to local officials.
Activist groups opposing the billionaire’s presence, particularly one calling itself No Space for Bezos, say their efforts successfully pressured organizers to shift the venue.
“We are very proud of this!” said Tommaso Cacciari, a spokesperson for the group. “We are nobodies—we have no money, nothing. But we managed to push one of the most powerful people in the world out of the city.”
Bezos’ wedding has drawn global attention for its star-studded guest list, which is rumored to include celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, and members of the Trump family. Reports indicate that five hotels were booked out entirely, private jets are expected to crowd the Venice airport, and luxury yachts will dominate the harbor. Former U.S. Marines have allegedly been hired to provide high-level security throughout the celebrations.
The event has sparked backlash from multiple fronts, including climate activists, anti-capitalist groups, and Venetians concerned about over-tourism. Banners and posters reading No Space for Bezos have been plastered across the city, while bridges have been draped in protest signs. On Monday, a group named Everyone Hates Elon unfurled a massive image of Bezos in Piazza San Marco, with the caption: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, then you can pay more tax.”
“Our protest isn’t about the wedding itself—it’s about what it represents,” said Simona Abbate, a Greenpeace campaigner. “It’s a display of excess. The richest live in luxury while the rest of us suffer the impact of a climate emergency we didn’t create.”
Local authorities, however, have defended the high-profile wedding. Simone Venturini, a city councillor for economic development, criticized the protesters as unrepresentative. “These protesters behave as if they own Venice, but they don’t,” he said. “No one gets to decide who gets married here. This event includes just 200 carefully selected guests and brings major economic benefits to the city. All events are taking place in private venues.”
Despite the economic defense, tensions remain high in Venice, where the pressures of mass tourism and climate change continue to weigh on the city. A recently implemented €5 daily tourist tax has done little to deter visitors, and locals increasingly feel displaced from their own neighborhoods.
Some activists had planned to launch themselves into canals near key venues using inflatable alligators to physically block celebrations. That aquatic demonstration was eventually canceled, but No Space for Bezos plans to project protest messages onto public buildings and organize a protest march on Saturday evening.
“Bezos comes to Venice only for the party,” Cacciari said. “That’s the problem—this vision of Venice not as a city, but as a theme park where billionaires can rent the background for their own entertainment.”
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