Venice Locals Revolt Ahead of Jeff Bezos’ Lavish Wedding “We’ll Block the Canals!”
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are planning to tie the knot in Venice later this month, but not everyone is happy about it. As their big wedding celebration gets closer, a group of local activists is trying to stop it altogether.
According to Variety and Reuters, the wedding is supposed to happen over three days, from June 26 to 28. And while the event is expected to bring in major celebrity guests like Katy Perry, Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey, and even some Kardashians, it’s also bringing major backlash from people who live in the city.
The protests are being led by a group of activists who started a campaign called “No Space for Bezos” a jab at the Amazon founder’s space company, Blue Origin. Over the weekend, the group hung a massive banner on Venice’s famous St. Mark’s Tower with Bezos’ name crossed out in red. They’ve also been putting up more signs and stickers all around the city.
One protester, Federica Toninelli, spoke to Reuters about why they’re angry. She said, “This wedding is the symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders.”
The protesters believe that events like this one are turning Venice into a playground for the rich, while regular residents are pushed out or ignored. Now, they’re threatening to block access to parts of the city, including canals and streets, in order to keep the wedding guests from getting to the venues.
The city’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, responded to the protests by saying he hopes the wedding isn’t disrupted. “We will have to apologize to Bezos,” he told reporters. “I am ashamed of those who behave like this. I hope that Bezos comes anyway. Not all Venetians think like these protesters.”
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— Thomas MORE (@ThomaMore) June 18, 2025
Venice activists gear up to protest against Jeff Bezos’s wedding, stating, "No Space for Bezos."
➔ The campaign plans to occupy streets and canals.
➔ They aim to highlight the city's overtourism issues. #Venice #JeffBezos #Protest #Overtourism #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/SaBrwkfdZF
‼️⚡️ "Venecia no está en venta":
— *HUNTER*✝️🪖 (@Bel31278Andres) June 16, 2025
La boda de Bezos y Sánchez provoca protestas.
La próxima boda del dueño de Amazon, Jeff Bezos, y su prometida, Lauren Sánchez, en Venecia ha desatado protestas en la ciudad italiana de los canales antes del lujoso evento.
'No Space For Bezos' pic.twitter.com/HA3kRRQvXb
🇮🇹 В Венеции протестуют против свадьбы Безоса.
— Travel News (@x_travelnews) June 16, 2025
На улицах — постеры с его лицом и лозунг No Space for Bezos.
Свадьба за €10 млн, 200 гостей, включая Иванку Трамп и Ди Каприо.
А местным — пробки, перекрытия и ощущение, что их город снова сдают в аренду.#Венеция #Venice #Bezos pic.twitter.com/Njrdb5KNfK
If the wedding goes as planned, it could become the biggest celebrity celebration Venice has seen since George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin there in 2014. That event also sparked excitement, but not protests.
So far, neither Bezos nor Sánchez has commented on the situation.