VENICE, ITALY – As the iconic canals of Venice prepare to host the lavish, star-studded wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a growing wave of local activists is vowing to disrupt the festivities, turning the billionaire’s nuptials into a highly visible battleground against overtourism and the perceived “Disneyfication” of their historic city.
The couple’s highly anticipated three-day wedding extravaganza, reportedly set to kick off around June 24, has been shrouded in secrecy. However, leaks and local intel suggest a series of opulent events across the floating city, potentially involving the island of San Giorgio and the renowned Misericordia events hall. Rumored guests include a who’s who of global celebrities, from Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates to Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry.
But for many Venetians, the celebration of one of the world’s wealthiest individuals in their beleaguered city is far from a cause for joy. Under the rallying cry of “No Space For Bezos” – a slogan often accompanied by images of Bezos’s head on a rocket, referencing his Blue Origin space venture – activists are organizing protests to coincide with the wedding dates. Banners, graffiti, and stickers emblazoned with the defiant message have appeared across the historic center.
“We have to block Bezos, we have to block this idea of this city as a tourist haven that has driven up housing costs so that most ordinary Venetians can no longer afford to live here,” declared Federica Toninello, a prominent protest organizer, to The New York Times. She vowed that activists would “line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies and our boats” to prevent access to rumored venues.
The core of the activists’ fury lies in Venice’s ongoing struggle with mass tourism. With a population of only around 50,000 on its main island, the city is overwhelmed by nearly 20 million annual visitors. Residents argue that mega-events like Bezos’s wedding exacerbate existing problems: inflated housing costs, strained infrastructure, and the erosion of local culture as Venice increasingly caters to a transient, high-spending elite.
“Let’s make sure that Venice is not remembered as a postcard venue where Bezos had his wedding but as the city that did not bend to oligarchs,” stated protester Na Haby Stella Faye, urging fellow Venetians to “disrupt a $10-million wedding – let’s do it.”
Image source: primavenezia.it
Venice’s Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, however, has dismissed the protests as “shameful” and expressed pride in hosting the event. “We are very proud,” Brugnaro told The Associated Press, expressing hopes of meeting Bezos. City officials have attempted to reassure residents and tourists, claiming the wedding will only involve around 200 guests and that disruptions to daily life and public transport, including the city’s 280 water taxis, will be minimal.
Yet, opposition councilor Giovanni Andrea Martini slammed the mayor’s assurances as “false,” labeling the wedding an “extreme case of the Disneyfication of Venice” that would bring “no benefit to ordinary Venetians” but only “inconvenience.”
The planned protests symbolize a broader movement sweeping across popular European tourist destinations, from Mallorca to Lisbon, where locals are pushing back against the negative impacts of unchecked tourism and the feeling that their homes are becoming playgrounds for the wealthy.
As Bezos’s superyacht, the Koru, is rumored to anchor in the Venetian lagoon, the stage is set for a dramatic clash of titans: the global billionaire celebrating his union against a passionate local community fighting for the soul of their city. The world will be watching to see if Venice’s famous sereneness can withstand the coming storm of protest.