Protesters in Venice claimed an “enormous victory” after Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wedding guests were reportedly forced to “run away” and move their main celebration to another location.
Mr Bezos, 61, has faced backlash from locals who claim the $48million star-studded ceremony is “taking over the city”.
He has hired former US marines to provide security for the nuptials, due to take place over three days from June 26.
Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, is getting wed to TV presenter Lauren Sanchez.
The pair were spotted yesterday on board the US tech boss’s $500million super yacht in Croatia.
The lavish wedding was reportedly supposed to culminate in an event on Saturday at the sumptuous Scuola Grande della Misericordia.
But a local official confirmed to BBC News guests expected to include the likes of Kim Kardashian, Mick Jagger and Leonardo DiCaprio will gather instead at the Arsenale, further from the city centre.
Greenpeace on Monday joined the smattering of protests in Venice against the upcoming wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 24, 2025
Protesters unfurled a giant banner in St. Mark’s Square. Local police quickly folded it up and took it away. pic.twitter.com/etDpnRIYSt
Tommaso Cacciari, from a group calling itself No Space for Bezos, said: “We are very proud of this! We are nobodies, we have no money, nothing!
“We’re just citizens who started organising and we managed to move one of the most powerful people in the world - all the billionaires - out of the city.”
The A-list mega-event has attracted protests from a range of groups, from locals fighting over-tourism in Venice to climate change activists and those who oppose Bezos' support for Donald Trump.
Protests Private jets are expected to jam up Venice airport, with private yachts taking over the harbour and five hotels booked out in their entirety.
Activists from Greenpeace and a group called Everyone Hates Elon unfurled a banner in St Mark’s Square showing Bezos’s face and the words: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”
Demonstrators plan to block the city’s canals and alleyways to hinder the 200 or so guests.
