Latest news with #NoSpaceForBezos
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Protest banners appear across Venice ahead of Bezos ‘wedding of the century'
Venice, renowned for its historic charm, is facing a stark division as it prepares to host the high-profile wedding of US tech-tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura Sanchez. While some anticipate the glamour and economic boost, others fear the event will transform the iconic city of gondolas and palazzi into little more than an "amusement park." Despite many details remaining "under wraps," including the exact date, the nuptials are expected to draw a constellation of stars from the worlds of film, fashion, and business. These scores of celebrities are set to arrive in the coming days, provided they can navigate potential local opposition. A protest group has already plastered banners across the city's famous Rialto Bridge, emblazoned with the message "No space for Bezos!" The group has also threatened peaceful blockades, arguing that the medieval and Renaissance city is in dire need of public services and housing, rather than an influx of celebrities and exacerbating over-tourism. The impending celebration highlights a growing tension in Venice, as the city grapples with its identity amidst the pressures of global tourism and high-profile events. "Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue," said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the "No space for Bezos" campaign. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia, on the other hand, argue that the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals. Eleven years ago actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations. Then, locals and tourists alike were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest. Bezos, 61, the founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third-richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott. After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed "the wedding of the century" Brugnaro confirmed in March that it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city. The date is expected to be some time between June 23-28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations. In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying that it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' everyday life. Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Bloomberg
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Bezos Wedding Draws Protests, Soul-Searching Over Tourism in Venice
When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former TV presenter Lauren Sanchez get married in Venice next week in a three-day, $10 million bash, they'll be joined not only by fellow celebrities but also by some unwelcome guests: anti-tourism activists determined to disrupt the festivities. 'We will throw ourselves into the water and use inflatables to oppose the event,' said Federica Toninello, a representative of the 'No Space for Bezos' movement, which has announced plans to peacefully block land and water access to the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, which is among the rumored wedding party venues. The protest, she added, would be open to anybody 'who wants to join us to take back our city.'
Reuters
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' 'wedding of the century'
ROME, June 20 (Reuters) - Venice is divided ahead of next week's celebrity wedding of U.S. tech-tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura Sanchez, with some looking forward to the glitz and glamour, while others fear it will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into an amusement park. Many details of the wedding are still under wraps - including the precise day it will happen - but it is certain that scores of stars from film, fashion and business will arrive to see Bezos tie the knot - provided they can get past the protesters. One group has plastered banners on the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading "No space for Bezos!" and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining that the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism. "Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue," said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the "No space for Bezos" campaign. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia, on the other hand, argue that the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals. Eleven years ago actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations. Then, locals and tourists alike were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest. Bezos, 61, the founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third-richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott. After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed "the wedding of the century" Brugnaro confirmed in March that it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city. The date is expected to be some time between June 23-28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations. In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying that it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' everyday life. Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We will block the canals': Venice divided as young protesters target Bezos wedding
Protesters have vowed to block the Bezos wedding from parts of Venice. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) On a sweltering Friday afternoon in June, a group of angry and self-described 'precarious' or underemployed Venetian young people gathered in a square near the foot of Venice's Rialto bridge. It was a call to action against the impending nuptials of billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, who will be tying the knot — and tying up the city — later in the month. After struggling at first to hang a massive 'No Space for Bezos' banner, complete with a drawing of his inarguably phallic Blue Origin rocket in the center, a handful of speakers roused the crowd of around 300 Venetians, many of whom were sipping spritzes in takeaway tumblers and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes. Though the details of the Bezos wedding are highly guarded beyond the rumoured US$10-million budget, several venues, including the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the same group managed to hang a No Bezos sign on the bell tower on Thursday, seem to be a given. Also said to be a dead-cert location in central Venice is the 14th century Misericordia, a former school armory that is now an exclusive events venue. It's widely rumoured that the main ceremony will take place her on June 28. But not if the protesters get their way. 'Bezos will never get to the Misericordia,' organizer Federica Toninello told the crowd to raucous applause. 'We will block the canals, line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with inflatables, dinghies, boats.' Another speaker, Na Haby Stella Faye, urged those gathered to make sure the wedding would be remembered for their opposition, not Sanchez's reported 27 outfit changes. '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,' she said. 'We can't miss a chance to disrupt a $10-million wedding.' 'No grandi matrimoni' Others lamented the arrival of Bezos' $500 million superyacht Koru, and the other luxury leisure boats expected to be docked in the city's ports. There were also complaints about the temporary work big events like this provide, rather than full-time jobs. Jeff Bezos wedding in Venice, Italy Protester outrage against the Bezos wedding has been matched by support for the nuptials. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Bezos' wedding is clearly symbolic of Venice's current problems. Efforts to combat overtourism have resulted in a 10-euro daytripper entrance fee on weekends and peak periods while more residents are pushed out every year due to a dwindling lack of services like schools, hospitals and affordable housing. 'You're telling me none of these people shop on Amazon?' said New Orleans native Jake Springer, who, along with his wife, was spending a weekend in Venice on a wine tour through Italy. 'At least they are protesting peacefully. Americans could learn a thing or two from this.' Protests in Venice may seem like a national pastime, but it's worth noting that they have been incredibly successful in the past. The years-long 'No Grandi Navi' or 'no big ships' campaign of the pre-Covid era was successful in banning giant cruise ships from anywhere near the city center. The restrictions led to widespread changes in cruise itineraries, with many of the major lines switching from Venice as a port of call or embarking point to nearby Ravenna and Trieste. Some, including Norwegian Cruise Line, removed Venice entirely from their itineraries. Protests against Airbnb-style short-term rentals also led to changes in the number of properties an individual can own to rent out. But protesting a millionaire's wedding in a city synonymous with love? To some, 'no grandi matrimoni' or no big weddings, seems cold. Bezos' is hardly the only high-dollar wedding to be held in the city — not least George and Amal Clooney's nuptials in 2014, which were cheered on by locals. So far this year, city officials say three multi-million-dollar weddings have been held without any opposition. Luca Zaia, the head of the surrounding Veneto region, calls the protests a disgrace. 'I am ashamed' 'I want Jeff Bezos to be welcomed with open arms in Venice. Protesting against those who bring visibility and wealth to our territory is, in my opinion, a disgrace,' he said Friday. Jeff Bezos wedding in Venice, Italy Protesters display a banner reading "No Space for Bezos!" on the Rialto Bridge. ( Manuel Silvestri/Reuters via CNN Newsource) Venice's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, said he hoped the protest won't dissuade Bezos and Sanchez from keeping their plans. 'We will have to apologize to Bezos,' Brugnaro told reporters in Venice on Friday. 'I am ashamed of those who behave like this. I hope that Bezos comes anyway. Not all Venetians think like these protesters.' Across town at the Biennale of Architecture, a regular event on the Venice calendar, the sentiment was much more in line with city officials than the protesters. 'It seems ridiculous that a city that lives off tourism like Venice wouldn't want an event like this, which will employ hundreds of people from waiters to water taxi drivers,' Görge Meyer, who was visiting from Berlin, said. 'All the guests and journalists will be staying at hotels, eating at restaurants and spending money. And they want to stop the cash influx?' Gillian Longworth McGuire, an American travel writer and tour planner who moved from Rome to Venice 10 years ago, points out that famous people have been coming to Venice to get married for centuries and wealthy people have been parking their yachts in Venice for decades. 'Venice just doesn't have a clear idea of what it is supposed to be sometimes,' she said. 'Is it a magical place carved out of a lagoon, built by merchants and fishermen, or a bachelorette party and mega wedding venue? 'The ethos of this city was always that it was the crossroads of culture and the world. Venice doesn't need an event like this to prove itself. People will always come no matter who gets married here and who is against it.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Venice activists plan to disrupt Jeff Bezos's wedding
Activists in Venice have launched a series of protests against Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos, who is due to marry fiancée Lauren Sánchez next week in a lavish, multi-million dollar ceremony that could shut parts of the famous city Bezos, 61, is the world's third richest person, with an estimated net worth of $220.9bn. He owns Amazon and space tech company Blue of high-profile guests are due to descend on Venice between 23 and 28 June for the nuptials, which will reportedly take over the whole island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark's to Italian media almost every luxury hotel has been booked out by the wedding party, as have many water taxis. "Venice is being treated like a showcase, a stage," said Federica Toninelli, a 33-year-old Venetian activist affiliated with the No Space for Bezos protest group. "And this wedding is the symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders... Venice is now just an asset."No Space for Bezos unites activists belonging to various Venetian collectives – from those campaigning for more housing for Venice's dwindling population to the anti-cruise ship committee."These topics are all linked," Toninelli told the BBC. "They all have to do with Venice turning into a place that puts tourists, rather than residents, at the centre of its politics." On Thursday the collective unfurled banners against Bezos from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica and the Rialto Bridge. Next week, they plan to disrupt the festivities by jumping into the canals to hinder the water taxis and blocking various calli, Venice's narrow streets, to prevent the wedding guests from reaching the venue. In a social media call-out for people to join the protests, activists accused conservative Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro of treating residents "like a nuisance... because for him the only valid use of Venice is as a backdrop for events that make the rich richer." Organisers say the aim of the protests - which they insist will be entirely peaceful - is twofold. "We want to spark a citywide conversation and to say that people like Bezos – who represent a future we don't want and a world we don't want to live in – are not welcome here," Toninelli said, citing Bezos' business ventures and his proximity to the Trump administration. But Mayor Brugnaro said he was "ashamed" of the protesters: "What other city would organise a committee against the wedding of such an important person?""I hope [Bezos] doesn't have second thoughts," he said. Echoing the mayor's indignation, jeweller Setrak Tokatzian – who heads the association of St Mark's shopkeepers – told Italian media that those who protest "hurt the city"."This kind of event brings in work and wealth, otherwise all we have left is increasingly low-cost tourism."Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, an author and former news presenter, have been together for a number of years and became engaged in details of the wedding have not been revealed, the No Space for Bezos committee believes the couple will tie the knot in the 10th Century Church of the Abbey of Misericordia. About 200 guests are expected, with many staying in Venice's most exclusive hotels as well as on Bezos' yachts, the Koru and the to Vogue magazine the guest list could include Kim Kardashian - who attended Sánchez's bachelorette party in Paris last month - and pop star Katy Perry, with whom Sánchez flew to space on a Blue Origin rocket earlier this year. Members of the Trump family are also rumoured to be attending. Ms Toninelli said protesting Bezos' lavish wedding would bring attention to the wider problems facing her city and its fragile lagoon. As local housing is replaced by holiday rentals, Venetians have left the city in droves. According to local activist group Ocio, in 2023 the number of tourists surpassed that of residents for the first time. Its current population is just under 49,000, versus 175,000 in year the city introduced an entrance fee for day trippers on peak dates. Mayor Brugnaro celebrated the scheme as a success, but opposition politicians argue it has not helped spread out the flow of tourists which flood Venice's narrow streets on a regular basis. However, Ms Toninelli insisted she and other activists were not against the concept of tourism. "We also like travelling around the world. The problem here is not tourists - it's exploiting tourism and basing everything on it.""We need to think about a post-tourism transition," she said, highlighting the need to move away from the concept of Venice as a stage for large, glitzy events."A city administration that puts residents - and not visitors - front and centre would be a good step forward."Jeff Bezos' wedding is not the first large-scale celebration of this kind to take place in 2014 actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in a glitzy affair that saw a host of celebrities descend on the Italian city's canals. There was no significant uproar of their event at the time.
