“Venice Says No to Bezos: Locals Push Back Against Billionaire’s Lavish Wedding Plans”

“No Space for Bezos”: Venice Locals Protest Billionaire’s Secret Wedding Plans.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, former TV journalist Lauren Sánchez, are reportedly set to tie the knot in Venice between June 24 and 26—but not everyone is celebrating. The highly secretive wedding is drawing backlash from local residents and activists, who fear the extravagant affair will further strain the fragile, overtouristed city.

Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed in March that the couple would wed in the city, sparking an intensifying protest campaign under the banner “No Space for Bezos.” Demonstrators recently unfurled a large banner reading “No Bezos” from the bell tower of the San Giorgio basilica—rumoured to be the site of the wedding ceremony.

Federica Toninello, one of the protest organisers, told The New York Times that one potential venue is the Misericordia, a converted events space. “Bezos will never get to the Misericordia,” she warned. “We will line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies and our boats.”

Another protester, Na Haby Stella Faye, added: “We have a chance to disrupt a ten-million-dollar wedding—let’s do it.”

Though little has been confirmed about the event, speculation has been rampant, from the guest list to the designer of Sánchez’s dress. Still, critics say the wedding exemplifies the city’s increasing transformation into a playground for the ultra-wealthy.

Giovanni Andrea Martini, an opposition city councillor, slammed the plans as “an extreme case of the Disneyfication of Venice,” arguing that “it won’t bring any benefit to ordinary Venetians. It’s just going to cause inconvenience.”

Mayor Brugnaro has dismissed the protests as “shameful,” insisting the wedding will not disrupt city life. In a statement, the Municipality of Venice said only 200 guests are expected and the city “will be able to accommodate such an event without any inconvenience to residents or visitors.”

Despite the mayor’s reassurances, locals remain unconvinced—and determined to make their objections heard.