On June 23, 2025, activists from Greenpeace Italy and the UK-based group Everyone Hates Elon staged a bold protest in Venice’s Piazza San Marco against the upcoming wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. They unfurled a massive 400-square-meter banner with the message, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,” highlighting concerns over wealth inequality, overtourism, and the environmental impact of lavish events in the fragile lagoon city. The demonstration, which involved about a dozen activists, was a direct response to the reported $10-million, multi-day wedding festivities set for June 24–28, 2025, expected to draw 200 high-profile guests, including celebrities like Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian, and potentially disrupt parts of Venice, such as San Giorgio Maggiore and the Misericordia venue.
Protest Details
- Action: The banner, described as a “maxi-striscione” by Italian media, was spread across Piazza San Marco, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to draw global attention. The protest was peaceful and concluded swiftly, with activists dispersing after the display.
- Message: The slogan critiques billionaires like Bezos for treating Venice as a private playground while contributing little to address local issues like housing shortages, rising costs, and climate-driven flooding. Greenpeace’s Clara Thompson stated, “While Venice is sinking under the weight of the climate crisis, billionaires are partying like there is no tomorrow on their mega yachts.”
- Context: The “No Space for Bezos” campaign, led by local activists like Marta Sottoriva and Federica Toninello, has been active since March 2025, when Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed the wedding. Earlier protests included banners on the Rialto Bridge and San Giorgio Maggiore’s bell tower, with plans for further disruptions, such as blocking canals with inflatables and boats on June 28.
Local and Official Reactions
- Mayor’s Stance: Brugnaro condemned the protests as “shameful,” arguing the wedding would bring an economic windfall, with 80% of vendors sourced locally and only 30 of 280 water taxis booked. He called Venice a “global stage” and dismissed claims of disruption as “fake news.”
- Local Divide: Some Venetians, like jeweler Setrak Tokatzian, support the event for its economic benefits, noting it employs waiters, taxi drivers, and hotels. Others, including young, underemployed residents, see it as emblematic of Venice’s transformation into a “postcard venue” for the ultra-rich, exacerbating depopulation (from 175,000 in 1950 to under 49,000 in 2023) and housing crises driven by short-term rentals.
- Activist Goals: The protest isn’t solely about Bezos but critiques a broader “model economic and social system” that prioritizes wealth over sustainability. Activists demand wealth taxes and investments in affordable housing and climate resilience, pointing to Venice’s vulnerability to rising sea levels and overtourism (20–30 million annual visitors).
Critical Analysis
The “No Space for Bezos” campaign taps into Venice’s long-standing struggles with overtourism, previously targeted through successful “No Grandi Navi” (no big ships) protests that banned cruise ships in 2021 and restrictions on Airbnb rentals. Unlike the warmly received 2014 Clooney wedding, Bezos’s event faces backlash due to his association with Amazon’s labor practices, Blue Origin’s environmental footprint, and perceived ties to controversial figures like Donald Trump. The June 23 protest, amplified by Greenpeace’s global reach, underscores a growing anti-billionaire sentiment in Europe, mirrored in recent protests in Barcelona and Mallorca. However, critics argue the economic boost (est. £8.4 million) could aid local businesses, and the wedding’s scale (200 guests) is manageable compared to Venice’s annual events like the Biennale or Redentore festival.
The banner’s tax message resonates with global calls for wealth taxes, as seen in stalled G20 talks on taxing the ultra-rich. Yet, the protest risks alienating some locals who rely on tourism, a tension highlighted by visitor Görge Meyer, who called blocking the event “ridiculous” for a tourism-dependent city. The activists’ planned disruptions on June 28 could test Venice’s infrastructure and Brugnaro’s assurances of minimal impact, potentially escalating tensions if they impede residents or tourists.
Connection to Broader Context
This protest echoes themes of public frustration with elite excess, similar to the outrage over Apoorva Mukhija’s airport incident or the celebration of community-driven triumphs like the Thunder’s NBA title. Unlike those events, the Venice protest channels anger into a broader critique of systemic inequality, using Bezos’s wedding as a flashpoint. If you’d like updates on the planned June 28 demonstrations, details on specific venues, or comparisons to past Venice protests, let me know
