Bezos wedding in Venice draws Greenpeace protest
Venice: Greenpeace on Monday became the latest group to protest the lavish wedding Amazon owner Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have planned in Venice.
Members of the environmental organisation and British group "Everyone Hates Elon" unfolded a giant banner in central St Mark's Square with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax."
It is the latest protest against this week's multi-day event, expected to attract some 200 guests, including US President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Jenner, and Kim Kardashian, and billionaires Eric Schmidt of Google and Bill Gates of Microsoft.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional Governor Luca Zaia believe the wedding will help local businesses by boosting the economy.
Zaia said the celebrations were expected to cost €20 to €30 million ($23-$34 million).
Why are activists protesting against the Bezos-Sanchez wedding?
Local anti-tourism activists said they were determined to disrupt the festivities, saying city bosses were prioritizing tourism over resident needs.
They have already hung anti-Bezos banners from the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading "No space for Bezos!"
"Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue," said Tommaso Cacciari, from the "No space for Bezos" campaign.
Greenpeace said it wanted to draw attention to the low taxes many billionaires pay, while allegedly exacerbating the climate crisis through their unsustainable lifestyles.
"The problem is not the wedding, the problem is the system. We think that one big billionaire can't rent a city for his pleasure," Simona Abbate, one of the protesters on Monday said.
Bezos-Sanchez nuptials set for later this week
According to Italian daily Corriere della Sera, more than 90 private jets carrying celebrity guests are expected to land at Venice's Marco Polo Airport in the coming days.
While the exact date of the wedding remains confidential, celebrations are expected to span three days, likely from June 26 to 28. The wedding party is reportedly set to take over the entire island of San Giorgio, located across from St. Mark's Square, where the Greenpeace protest took place. However, the specific location of the ceremony itself has not been disclosed.
It is also unclear when Bezos and Sanchez will arrive, though reports suggest they will stay at the Aman Venice, a luxury hotel on the Grand Canal where George and Amal Clooney stayed during their 2014 wedding.
Bezos will also make sizable charity donations, including €1 million euros for Corila, an academic consortium that studies Venice's lagoon ecosystem.
The wedding comes at the height of tourism season in the fragile city that has long been overrun with visitors.
Venice has already reintroduced an entry fee this year, which was piloted last year for day-trippers. They will have to pay between €5 and €10 to enter the city during the peak season.
About 49,000 people live in Venice's historic city centre. According to various estimates, more than 20 million tourists visit the city each year.
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