Protesters say: “Kiss Yes, Bezos No,” Billionaire's Wedding Big Bonanza divides Venice – Country
Hundreds of protesters marched on Venice’s Central Street on Saturday to reach their third and final day amid a challenge from crowded parties of celebrities and tired residents.
On Friday, the world's fourth richest man and his bride, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, kidnapped with about 200 celebrity guests on the isolated island of San Giogio on Friday.
However, the wedding split Venice, with some activists protesting as billionaire Bezos’ exploitation of the city, while ordinary residents are threatened by cheap tourism, high housing costs, and climate-induced climate flooding.
As the newlyweds prepared for their last party on Saturday night, hundreds of Venetians and protesters from all over Italy wrote in colorful banners on the small streets of Venice, “kisses Yes, yes, bezos no” and “no bezos, no bezos, no war”.
The demonstrations contrast with the expensive wedding monopoly, which critics see as an offense to the fragile environment of the lagoon city and its citizens, flooded by a large number of tourists.
“We are here to continue to undermine the plans of these wealthy people who accumulate money by using many others … and the situation in the city remains unstable,” said Martina Vergnano, one of the protesters.
Militants protested on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy, condemning a three-day celebration between Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
AP Photo/Luca Bruno
The protest organizers welcomed the news of the Saturday wedding originally held in central Venice, and were later transferred to the former medieval shipyard Arsenale, in a case of high safety.
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Corila, the Venetian Association for Environmental Research, said Bezos each donated 1 million euros ($1.17 million) to three environmental research organizations that protect Venice. But many protesters see this move as a clear example of “green.”
“We wanted a free Venice, ultimately dedicated to its citizens. …These donations were just a pain and were designed to clear Bezos' conscience,” said Flavio Cogo, a Venetian activist.
Details of Friday night’s exclusive wedding were a tight secret until Sánchez Bezos posted on Instagram, a photo of herself wearing a white dress, standing with Bezos in a tuxedo.
Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders gather in a luxury rave testament to the couple’s love for their extraordinary wealth.
The star-studded guest list includes Oprah Winfrey and NFL Big Tom Brady, along with Hollywood stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Orlando Bloom, tech entrepreneur, philanthropist Bill Gates and philanthropist Bill Gates and Top Socialites, including Kardashian-Jenner Clan.
Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their three children also attended the celebration.
The bride and groom live in the Venice Hotel in Oman on the Grand Canal, and Bezos poses for the photo, and Sanchez Bezos blows the media.
“The earth is burning, but don't worry, this is a list of 27 gowns by Lauren Sánchez,” a protest slogan referring to the bride's reported wedding weekend wardrobe. It features a mermaid-lined wedding dress from Dolce & Gabbana, as well as other Dolce Vita-inspired look from Italian designers including Schiaparelli and Bottega Veneta.
The city government strongly defended the wedding because it conformed to Venetian traditions as an open city that welcomed the pope, emperor and ordinary tourists for centuries.
& Copy 2025 Associated Press
