The protest is part of a broader backlash against overtourism and billionaire indulgence in Venice|Greenpeace|Instagram
The three-day wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and television presenter Lauren Sanchez began in Venice, Italy, amid protests from environmental activists. The backlash reportedly forced the billionaire couple to change the venue for their June 28 wedding party.
The activist group No Space for Bezos had planned a symbolic canal blockade and unfurled protest banners, including a 400-square-meter tarp from Greenpeace reading, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.”
The protest is part of a broader movement against overtourism and billionaire extravagance in Venice, where the local population has shrunk from over 100,000 in the 1980s to under 50,000 today. Many blame excessive tourism for pollution and housing shortages.
Bezos and Sanchez’s ceremony, dubbed “Wedding of the Century,” is expected to cost up to $55.6 million, drawing 200–250 elite guests from film, finance, and politics—including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
At least 90 private jets are expected to arrive at nearby airports, and 30 water taxis have been booked to transport guests staying at luxury hotels, including Cipriani and Aman.
Despite local resistance, Bezos and Sanchez donated 1 million euros to a lagoon conservation group.
Meanwhile, protesters remain unmoved and plan to demonstrate Saturday at Venice’s Santa Lucia train station, broadening their message to include anti-war sentiment.