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Jeff Bezos wedding: Why Venice is protesting


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Jeff Bezos wedding: Why Venice is protesting with 'pay more tax' and 'no space' banners. 

Amid the growing backlash, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding planners have come to their defence. In a statement, they asserted that their clients 'explicitly instructed them to minimize any disruption to the city during their three-day wedding festivities'.

 
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Activists of international environmental group Greenpeace deploy a giant banner displaying a picture of Jeff Bezos and reading 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax' at St Mark square in Venice on June 23. (Image credit: AFP)

As preparations intensify for the highly anticipated, star-studded wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez next week, Venice is witnessing a wave of protests demanding the Amazon founder "pay more" taxes. The mounting tension was encapsulated by a giant banner unfurled at St. Mark's Square, directly targeting Bezos.

The protest was led by international environmental group Greenpeace, who displayed a massive banner featuring an image of the laughing Amazon founder alongside the stark message: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax." The group further amplified their message on Instagram, sharing a video of the banner and accusing Bezos, 61, of "poverty wages" for his staff and "tax dodging." Their post concluded with a pointed call to action: "No wonder he can afford to shut down half of Venice for his wedding this week. Tax billionaires NOW."

Sanchez has also been criticised for saying more must be done to tackle climate change while also taking part in a space flight in April on a rocket developed by Bezos's space company Blue Origin.

Broader local opposition
The Greenpeace action is part of a wider wave of discontent across Venice. Italian protesters have been plastering the city with slogans such as "Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch" and "No space for Bezos." Demonstrators are reportedly planning to disrupt the forthcoming nuptials by blocking canals and streets, voicing concerns over ongoing issues like rampant over-tourism and anti-capitalism, which they believe the high-profile event aggravates.

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A poster reading "No Space for Bezos" and calling for protest, is pasted on a wall in Venice where the billionaire Jeff Bezos will marry is fiancee, journalist Lauren Sanchez at the end of the month. (Image credit: AFP)

 

Bezos-Sanchez wedding planners defend preparations
Amid the growing backlash, the couple's wedding planners, Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza of Lanza & Baucina Limited, have come to the defence of Bezos and Sánchez, 55. In a statement, they asserted that their clients "explicitly instructed them to minimize any disruption to the city during their three-day wedding festivities."

"From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events," their statement read. According to Page 6, the wedding planners also highlighted pre-emptive measures taken months before the protests emerged, designed "to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city’s visitors." The planners also explicitly denied rumours that the couple were "taking over the city" by extensively booking water taxis or gondolas.

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Economic impact vs. local concerns
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro has voiced support for the event, estimating a "multi-million dollar" economic impact on the city. Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia echoed this sentiment, anticipating benefits for local businesses, particularly those in hospitality and transport. The wedding organisers have also confirmed that 80 percent of their wedding supplies are being sourced from Venetian vendors. Local authorities have emphasised that the guest list is capped at around 200 people, asserting that daily life in Venice will not be unduly disturbed.

Venice has a history of hosting high-profile weddings, such as George Clooney and Amal Alabackn's nuptials in 2014, which were largely embraced by the city. However, the city recently implemented a tourist entry fee to manage growing visitor numbers, indicating a delicate balance between welcoming global events and preserving its unique character.

Bezos, 61, founder of Amazon and the world’s third richest person, proposed to Sánchez, 55, in May 2023. The engagement followed the end of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. Sánchez was previously married to Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell, and also has a son from a prior relationship. Bezos and Scott share four children. The wedding is anticipated to take place between 23rd and 28th June, spanning three days of exclusive celebrations.

Posted

bezos gaadi leg little finger ki unna smallest venturka tho equal ee protests

andari meeda sussu posi mari he will get married

  • Upvote 1
Posted

Antha grudge unte, these people should ban the companies and products owned by or have a stake from Bezos.. Amazon, Uber, Whole Foods, Washington post, Airbnb, etc etc 

Posted

Bezos' Venice wedding party moved to isolated area on security concerns

MILAN, June 24 (Reuters) - A celebrity wedding party for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice this week has been moved to an isolated, less accessible part of the lagoon city on security concerns and to prevent the risk of protests, sources said.
 
The billionaire tech-tycoon and his fiancee had earmarked a location in Cannaregio to celebrate after their marriage, a popular and central nightlife area, but fears of demonstrations led to a change of plan, the sources added.
 
For weeks some local residents and pressure groups have been complaining that the event will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into a private amusement park for the rich, and threatened peaceful blockades.
 
After the wedding ceremony, whose location and exact date remain secret, although it is expected to be between Thursday and Saturday, some 200-250 VIP guests from show business, politics and finance will now head to a hall of the Arsenale, a vast 14th-century complex in the eastern Castello district.
 
Surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised, the hall is considered a safer venue than Cannaregio's Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a medieval former religious school.
 
Originally a giant shipyard serving the Venetian Republic's maritime empire, the Arsenale has been restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.
 
Bezos, 61, executive chair of e-commerce giant Amazon and no. 4 on Forbes' billionaires list, got engaged to Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott.
 
The couple's decision to marry in Venice follows other celebrity weddings in the floating city, such as that of U.S. actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alabackn in 2014.
"The news that Bezos has run away from the Misericordia is a great victory for us," said Tommaso Cacciari, a leader of the "No Space for Bezos" campaign that is leading the anti-wedding front.
 
The group has announced more protests for Saturday on Venice's canals, bridges and narrow streets, pledging to make the event a "nightmare" for Bezos and his guests.
 
Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region that comprises the city, criticised the protests, saying the 90 private jets carrying guests to nearby airports would bring revenue of up to 48 million euros ($55.69 million) to local businesses.
 
U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been holidaying in Tuscany, visited the factory of luxury sports car maker Ferrari on their way to the Venice wedding, a source familiar with their movements said.
Posted
19 hours ago, saravamnene said:

bezos gaadi leg little finger ki unna smallest venturka tho equal ee protests

andari meeda sussu posi mari he will get married

eee cinema dialogues yenduku lee anna..

elanti attitude andariki vuntee asalu french revolution jarideegee kaadu...

Bezos might have got more paper money but end of day he is homo sapien who goes to sh** early in the morning and he is made up of bones and flesh..

Posted
3 hours ago, andhra_jp said:

eee cinema dialogues yenduku lee anna..

elanti attitude andariki vuntee asalu french revolution jarideegee kaadu...

Bezos might have got more paper money but end of day he is homo sapien who goes to sh** early in the morning and he is made up of bones and flesh..

mast theories unnai ilantivi..enta earn chesina 6 ft grave loke poyedi...paniki malina mucchatlu

Posted
22 hours ago, andhra_jp said:

 

Plastic surgery ki dukaan lekkundi evarthidi?

  • Haha 1
Posted
46 minutes ago, saravamnene said:

mast theories unnai ilantivi..enta earn chesina 6 ft grave loke poyedi...paniki malina mucchatlu

ok anna... u continue doing dasoham to rich influential people... who is stopping u...

i will continue to inspire from people like ramana maharshi

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_QtP_4LkXSPFSJwRxSpN

Posted
43 minutes ago, andhra_jp said:

ok anna... u continue doing dasoham to rich influential people... who is stopping u...

i will continue to inspire from people like ramana maharshi

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_QtP_4LkXSPFSJwRxSpN

who is this guy...heard name many times but whats the context?

Posted
1 hour ago, saravamnene said:

who is this guy...heard name many times but whats the context?

@csrcsr ani @Konebhar6 tolded

  • Haha 1

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