The City of Love or the City of Protest? Jeff Bezos’ Lavish Wedding in Venice Becomes a Public Spectacle.

The City of Love or the City of Protest? Jeff Bezos’ Lavish Wedding in Venice Becomes a Public Spectacle.

(The Americas)

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What was meant to be a romantic celebration in one of the world’s most iconic cities has turned into a lightning rod for public anger.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancee Lauren Sanchez are tying the knot this week in Venice, Italy – not Paris, as some initially believed.

But instead of applause, their wedding is drawing protests, satire, anger and frustration from locals and activists alike.

The three-day wedding extravaganza – estimated to cost between $64 million and $76 million – has been criticized as a symbol of excess in a city already struggling with over-tourism, rising housing costs, and the displacement of residents.

Protesters argue that Venice is being treated like a billionaire’s playground, with parts of the city cordoned off, water taxis rerouted, and security tightened for the 200 celebrity guests expected to attend.

Activist groups like “No Space for Bezos” have staged creative demonstrations, including floating a Bezos dummy down the canal and unfurling banners that read: 

“If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.” 

One of the protesters could also be heard on video saying he came to the wedding with the intention of crashing it.

The backlash was so intense that the couple reportedly moved their post-wedding party from a historic venue in central Venice to a more secluded shipyard to avoid disruption.

While Bezos and Sanchez have emphasized their use of local vendors and pledged donations to Venetian environmental causes, critics say the gesture doesn’t erase the deeper issue: a city’s soul being sold for spectacle.

In the end, the wedding may be remembered less for its glamour and more for the question it raised: 

Can a private celebration ever be truly private when it takes over a public city?

The answer remains to be seen.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog. 

Footage / RideshareProfessor / Tick tock / Images / Lauren Sanchez / Kim K / Instagram /  More Perfect Union / X