Protesters Force Bezos to Move His Controversial Wedding

Jeff Bezos's lavish Venice wedding plans hit a snag this week as activists threatened to flood the city's famous canals with inflatable crocodiles, forcing the billionaire to relocate his celebration to a more secure venue. The Amazon CEO and Lauren Sanchez will now host their main reception at Arsenale rather than the Scuola Grande della Misericordia. Arsenale, a historic shipyard complex, is ringed with fortified walls and seen as more challenging to disrupt than the original location, a 16th-century building in the center of the Italian city, the Guardian reports.

Local media also attributed the switch, in part, to heightened security following the US's involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict and the arrival of high-profile guests, including Ivanka Trump. Protesters, however, claimed the victory, CNN reports. "We won! The protest managed to ruin Bezos' plans and Mayor Brugnaro's palace games," the group No Space for Bezos posted. About 200 guests are expected for the nuptials, with names like Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian rumored to attend and about 95 private jets expected to be landing there.

Activists argue that hosting such an event in Venice turns the city into a playground for the wealthy and draws attention to issues like excessive tourism and income inequality. Other groups such as Greenpeace Italia and Everyone Hates Elon also participated in protests, including putting up banners calling on Bezos to "pay more tax." Authorities have increased security, particularly in sensitive areas like Venice's Jewish neighborhood. Despite the venue change, the wedding will proceed, with the couple expected to wed Friday at the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica. Activists have shifted plans to a "no Bezos, no war" march rather than further canal disruptions. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)