Amazon founder Bezos celebrates wedding in Venice despite outrage from citizens
Kyiv • UNN
The wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice sparked protests from local residents and environmental organizations. Citizens are outraged by the city's transformation into a "private ballroom," and environmentalists criticize excessive spending amidst the climate crisis.
This week, Venice will host the lavish wedding of American businessman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, journalist Lauren Sanchez, which has already sparked a wave of protests from city residents. This was reported by UNN with reference to France-Presse.
Details
Reportedly, the celebration will begin on Thursday and last until Saturday, culminating in a ceremony at a secret location. Rumor has it that the wedding might take place at the Misericordia Abbey or in the premises of the historic Arsenale – a complex used since the time of the Venetian Maritime Republic.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, have invited about 200 guests to the event. The couple has booked the city's most prestigious hotels. Among the likely guests are Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump.
According to Corriere della Sera, at least 95 private jets have sent requests to land at Venice Marco Polo Airport. Bezos's megayacht "Koru" is expected to dock near the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, located opposite St. Mark's Square, which is fully booked for the duration of the wedding.
Some citizens have protested against the celebration. Tommaso Cacciari, 47, leader of the "Bezos Has No Place" movement, explained that residents disagree with the city being turned into an entertainment venue:
We object to Venice being used as a very private ballroom, rather than as a real city with residents, with weaknesses and problems
He also noted that such events "doom Venice to a final death" as they displace local residents. According to him, protesters are ready to "throw our bodies, our boats, and inflatable animals" into the canals during the passage of wedding guests.
Environmental organizations also spoke out in defense of the city. Greenpeace criticized the event for excessive spending amidst a climate crisis, stating that the city is "drowning under the weight of the climate crisis."
Critics also reminded that Sanchez publicly called for action against climate change and in April flew into space on Bezos's Blue Origin company rocket.
On Monday, activists hung a banner in St. Mark's Cathedral depicting Bezos with the inscription: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes."
In response to public outrage, the wedding organizers – the Lanza and Bauchina agency – stated that they were instructed to minimize any inconvenience to city residents.
In turn, Simone Venturini, a member of the Venice City Council for Tourism, assured that the celebration would not create problems for daily life:
This is just one of many events the city hosts every day. It is also relatively small in terms of the number of participants
Among the residents, there are also those who supported the event. One of them is Michele Serafini, 50.
This is a fragile city, it's clear, you can't do everything and always, no matter what, but such events generally don't create any problems. The wedding brings money to the city of Venice, and that can only be good
Additionally
The couple made donations to support the city and involved local artisans in the wedding preparations. In particular, Venice's oldest pastry shop – Rosa Salva – is making traditional 19th-century "fisherman's biscuits" for the festive packages. Gifts also include items from Laguna B – masters of handmade Murano glass.
Concurrently, a counter-initiative called "Yes, Venice Can" has been created in the city to support the wedding.
Recall
In 2014, Venice already hosted a celebrity wedding – that of actor George Clooney. This time, the scale of the event, the personalities involved, and the social context have caused a more vocal reaction, particularly from climate advocates and the local community.