Activists in Venice are gearing up to protest against the upcoming wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, slated to take place at a lavish venue on June 23-28. With an estimated net worth of $220.9 billion, the wedding is expected to attract hundreds of high-profile guests and significantly disrupt the city’s delicate balance.
Groups under the banner "No Space for Bezos" are highlighting how mega-events like this treat Venice merely as a backdrop for the wealthy, detracting from the needs of its dwindling local population. Activists like Federica Toninelli emphasize that the celebration symbolizes the ongoing exploitation of the city, stating, "Venice is now just an asset."
The activist collective—a coalition of various Venetian organizations advocating for housing rights and against excessive tourism—plans to stage a range of peaceful protests. These include unfurling banners in prominent locations, disrupting water taxi routes, and blocking narrow streets to prevent guests from reaching the celebration. They aim not only to protest the wedding but to catalyze a broader conversation about the city’s future and the negative impacts of unchecked tourism.
Critics of the protests, including Venice's Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, argue that such events bring economic benefits and should not be undermined by local opposition. While the city has seen a steep decline in residents—its population shrinking from 175,000 in 1950 to just under 49,000 today—protesters contend that the exploitation of tourism needs reevaluation, urging the city to prioritize the needs of its residents over wealthy visitors.
Although the details of the Bezos wedding remain undisclosed, speculation suggests it might take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia. Prominent figures, including Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry, are rumored to be on the guest list, reflecting the wedding's star-studded nature.
Amid rising frustration over tourism's impact on local culture and community, activists stress the need for a shift in governance—advocating for a city administration that prioritizes residents over transient visitors. As the local activist group Ocio pointed out, the number of tourists has exceeded that of residents for the first time in 2023, underscoring the urgent need for policy changes.
In her closing remarks, Toninelli stresses, “We need to think about a post-tourism transition,” urging a reevaluation of how Venice is marketed and utilized as a destination.
While large nuptials in Venice have occurred before without significant backlash—such as George Clooney's 2014 wedding—the reaction to Bezos's upcoming event underlines the growing tensions between tourism, local identity, and economic sustainability.
Groups under the banner "No Space for Bezos" are highlighting how mega-events like this treat Venice merely as a backdrop for the wealthy, detracting from the needs of its dwindling local population. Activists like Federica Toninelli emphasize that the celebration symbolizes the ongoing exploitation of the city, stating, "Venice is now just an asset."
The activist collective—a coalition of various Venetian organizations advocating for housing rights and against excessive tourism—plans to stage a range of peaceful protests. These include unfurling banners in prominent locations, disrupting water taxi routes, and blocking narrow streets to prevent guests from reaching the celebration. They aim not only to protest the wedding but to catalyze a broader conversation about the city’s future and the negative impacts of unchecked tourism.
Critics of the protests, including Venice's Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, argue that such events bring economic benefits and should not be undermined by local opposition. While the city has seen a steep decline in residents—its population shrinking from 175,000 in 1950 to just under 49,000 today—protesters contend that the exploitation of tourism needs reevaluation, urging the city to prioritize the needs of its residents over wealthy visitors.
Although the details of the Bezos wedding remain undisclosed, speculation suggests it might take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia. Prominent figures, including Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry, are rumored to be on the guest list, reflecting the wedding's star-studded nature.
Amid rising frustration over tourism's impact on local culture and community, activists stress the need for a shift in governance—advocating for a city administration that prioritizes residents over transient visitors. As the local activist group Ocio pointed out, the number of tourists has exceeded that of residents for the first time in 2023, underscoring the urgent need for policy changes.
In her closing remarks, Toninelli stresses, “We need to think about a post-tourism transition,” urging a reevaluation of how Venice is marketed and utilized as a destination.
While large nuptials in Venice have occurred before without significant backlash—such as George Clooney's 2014 wedding—the reaction to Bezos's upcoming event underlines the growing tensions between tourism, local identity, and economic sustainability.
