Bezos' Venice wedding party moved to isolated area on security concerns
A general view shows The Venetian Arsenal ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
A general view shows The Venetian Arsenal ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
A man uses a smartphone to record the super yacht Kismet ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
People use a towel to shelter from the sun while queuing to enter St Mark's Basilica ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
A fake cash note with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' face on it lies on the street in St. Mark's Square ahead of his expected wedding with Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
Gondoliers ride their gondolas through the Venice Canal ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
MILAN - A celebrity wedding party for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice this week has been moved to an isolated, less accessible part of the lagoon city on security concerns and to prevent the risk of protests, sources said.
The billionaire tech-tycoon and his fiancee had earmarked a location in Cannaregio to celebrate after their marriage, a popular and central nightlife area, but fears of demonstrations led to a change of plan, the sources added.
For weeks some local residents and pressure groups have been complaining that the event will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into a private amusement park for the rich, and threatened peaceful blockades.
After the wedding ceremony, whose location and exact date remain secret, although it is expected to be between Thursday and Saturday, some 200-250 VIP guests from show business, politics and finance will now head to a hall of the Arsenale, a vast 14th-century complex in the eastern Castello district.
Surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised, the hall is considered a safer venue than Cannaregio's Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a medieval former religious school.
Originally a giant shipyard serving the Venetian Republic's maritime empire, the Arsenale has been restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.
Bezos, 61, executive chair of e-commerce giant Amazon and no. 4 on Forbes' billionaires list, got engaged to Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott.
The couple's decision to marry in Venice follows other celebrity weddings in the floating city, such as that of U.S. actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014.
"The news that Bezos has run away from the Misericordia is a great victory for us," said Tommaso Cacciari, a leader of the "No Space for Bezos" campaign that is leading the anti-wedding front.
The group has announced more protests for Saturday on Venice's canals, bridges and narrow streets, pledging to make the event a "nightmare" for Bezos and his guests.
Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region that comprises the city, criticised the protests, saying the 90 private jets carrying guests to nearby airports would bring revenue of up to 48 million euros ($55.69 million) to local businesses.
U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been holidaying in Tuscany, visited the factory of luxury sports car maker Ferrari on their way to the Venice wedding, a source familiar with their movements said. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
an hour ago
- International Business Times
What is Canada's Digital Services Tax and Why It Sparked a Trade War With US?
Trade tensions between the United States and Canada reached a boiling point this week as President Donald Trump abruptly ended trade negotiations in response to Canada's Digital Services Tax (DST). Trump described the tax as "a direct and blatant attack" on American businesses and warned that new tariffs on Canadian goods would be imposed within a week. Canada confirmed it will enforce the DST starting Monday, following months of tense discussions. The tax was introduced under the Trudeau government in June 2024 and applies a 3% levy on revenue earned by large digital firms—particularly those with over €750 million in global revenue and more than $20 million in Canadian digital sales. This move primarily targets major US tech firms like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Uber, with retroactive application to January 2022, creating a US$2 billion bill due by the end of June. Under Canadian law, companies are required to register with the Canada Revenue Agency by January 31, 2025, and file returns by June 30, 2025. Penalties include fines of $20,000 per year for failure to register, and late filing could result in additional financial penalties of up to 5% plus 1% monthly interest. Trump reacted strongly, ending trade discussions and stating on social media that Canada would regret its decision. He asserted, "We have such power over Canada. They were foolish to do it." Trump insisted Canada would eventually retract the tax but made clear he was indifferent to their decision. The tax has long been a sore point for US policymakers who claim it unfairly singles out American digital companies. Industry leaders welcomed Trump's firm approach. Matt Schruers of the Computer & Communications Industry Association praised the administration's move, saying it protected US digital exports from discriminatory treatment. In response to the DST, tech companies have started passing costs to Canadian customers. Google, for example, introduced a "Canada DST Fee" of 2.5% on ads purchased in the country. Despite US pressure, Canada remains resolute. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne confirmed the government is moving forward, and Prime Minister Mark Carney stated negotiations will continue but only on Canada's terms. Canada relies heavily on trade with the US, with nearly 80% of its exports heading south. It is also America's top foreign supplier of oil, uranium, steel, and electricity. The highly integrated auto sector could be significantly affected by any new tariffs. This dispute is not isolated. The US had earlier initiated consultations under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement regarding the DST. Canadian business groups have warned of potential harm to both economies if the situation escalates.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Venice protests target Bezos over mounting grievances
Demonstrators on the Rialto Bridge, stand by a banner that reads 'No space for Bezos' as they take part in a protest against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on the third day of Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos' wedding festivities, in Venice, Italy, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri ROME - Mass tourism, impossibly high rents, worker exploitation, inequality and elitism: Venice, Italy's protests in recent days against Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's high-profile wedding have highlighted growing global grievances. Local politicians dismissed protesters as a fringe minority. Bezos's fame and Venice's stunning visual backdrop have offered them international visibility which they effectively exploited. "No Space for Bezos" banners draped over the iconic Rialto Bridge and a huge canvas laid out on St Mark's Square urging the tech billionaire to pay more taxes have been seen all over the world. Concerns of greater disruptions forced Bezos and his bride to move their final and biggest celebrity party from the central district to a more isolated venue in the eastern part of the lagoon city. "The idea that the city should be seen as a set, a stage, or an amusement park has been highlighted like never before by Bezos' wedding," Tommaso Cacciari, a frontman for the No Space for Bezos movement, told Reuters. In the final protest on Saturday, around 1,000 residents and activists rallied in front of Venice's train station under a scorching sun, before marching roughly 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) to the Rialto Bridge. They carried banners including one proclaiming 'Kisses yes, Bezos no', playing on Venice's reputation as the city of love, and another one saying 'No space for Bezos' with a rocket, in a reference to his Blue Origin space technology company. Venetian businesses and politicians, however, welcomed the event, hailing its major boost for the local economy. Luca Zaia, the regional governor of Veneto around Venice, said the city should be proud of hosting the wedding. TRUMP TIES Alice Bazzoli, a 24-year-old university student, called Bezos a "hypocrite" for donating 3 million euros ($3.5 million) to Venice while flooding its fragile ecosystem with high-polluting private jets and yachts. Bezos and Sanchez have given 1 million euros each to three Venetian institutions: CORILA, an academic consortium that studies the lagoon, UNESCO's local office, and Venice International University. "I'd love Venice to be tailored for citizens, not for tourists, with affordable housing," Bazzoli told Reuters, complaining that students were being priced out of the market, with the best accommodations offered to visitors. Andrea Segre, a 49-year-old Italian film director born in Venice, said the city was also pushing out ordinary residents. "People aged 25 to 35 — the age group that starts families — cannot afford to live in Venice. The consequence is a lack of diversity and social liveliness," he said. Venice is rapidly depopulating, largely because of the cost of living crisis. Its historic city centre now has fewer than 50,000 residents, compared to more than 100,000 some 50 years ago. The city has hosted scores of other VIP weddings, including that of actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, but the latest luxury nuptials have attracted far greater resentment because of Bezos' corporate and political role. The Amazon founder is the world's fourth richest man, and has developed ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were in attendance at the wedding. "Bezos is the embodiment of the most absolute wealth gained through the exploitation of everything around you," 28-year-old student Giulia Cacopardo told Reuters in the run-up to Saturday's march. In Italy, the e-commerce giant has faced criticism and strikes from trade unions over labour practices, and scrutiny over tax compliance. Reuters reported in February that Italian prosecutors were investigating alleged tax evasion worth 1.2 billion. "I would have protested against Bezos even if he had come on a rowboat with just a handful of people ... because he contributed practically, materially and politically to Donald Trump's re-election," protest leader Cacciari said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
G7 agrees to avoid higher taxes for US companies
FILE PHOTO: A man walk past the G7 members flags at the Manoir Richelieu before the G7 Foreign Ministers summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger/File Photo The United States and the Group of Seven nations have agreed to support a proposal that would exempt U.S. companies from some components of an existing global agreement, the G7 said in a statement on Saturday. The group has created a 'side-by-side' system in response to the U.S. administration agreeing to scrap the Section 899 retaliatory tax proposal from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, it said in a statement from Canada, the head of the rolling G7 presidency. The G7 said the plan recognizes existing U.S. minimum tax laws and aims to bring more stability to the international tax system. G7 officials said that they look forward to discussing a solution that is "acceptable and implementable to all" In January, through an executive order, Trump declared that the global corporate minimum tax deal was not applicable in the U.S., effectively pulling out of the landmark 2021 arrangement negotiated by the Biden administration with nearly 140 countries. He had also vowed to impose a retaliatory tax against countries that impose taxes on U.S. firms under the 2021 global tax agreement. This tax was considered detrimental to many foreign companies operating in the U.S. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
