‘NO SPACE FOR BEZOS’

Venice Tells Bezos to Stay Away Ahead of Lavish Wedding

Hundreds of protesters gathered over the weekend to tell the Amazon founder he’s not welcome in the city ahead of his destination wedding.

Venice has long been a favorite wedding destination among celebrities, but this weekend, residents told one pair of famous fiancés to keep out. On Friday, about 300 people gathered at the Rialto Bridge to protest the upcoming wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, which will take place in the city later this month. Protesters say the celebrations will further disrupt daily life for residents already displaced by mass tourism. Vowing not to “bend to oligarchs,” one group unfurled a banner reading “NO SPACE FOR BEZOS” over the bridge, while another hung a banner from the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore depicting the Amazon founder with a red X over his face. The city’s mayor, meanwhile, insists Venice is “extremely proud” to be the couple’s destination of choice. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, who began dating in 2018, have kept relatively mum on the details of their ceremony. However, Vogue and TMZ report the guest list likely includes A-list pals like Oprah, Eva Longoria, Ivanka Trump, select Kardashians, and Sanchez’s Blue Origin crewmates Gayle King and Katy Perry. Meanwhile, experts told Daily Mail that the celebration, for which the couple has seemingly rented 30 of the Floating City’s 280 water taxis, may cost up to $21.5 million.