Activists in Venice will not be holding their peace during Jeff Bezos’s wedding. Activists in the city have launched a series of protests against Bezos, who is due to marry fiancée Lauren Sánchez next week in a lavish, multi-million dollar ceremony that could shut parts of Venice down.
“Venice is being treated like a showcase, a stage,” said Federica Toninelli, a 33-year-old Venetian activist affiliated with the No Space for Bezos protest group.
“And this wedding is the symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders… Venice is now just an asset.”
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Hundreds of high-profile guests are due to descend on Venice between June 23-28 for the nuptials, which will reportedly take over the whole island of San Giorgio, opposite St. Mark’s Square.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Lauren Sánchez, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and helicopter pilot, began their relationship in 2018 while both were still married to their respective spouses. Their relationship became public in early 2019 following their divorces, attracting intense media attention.
Over time, their partnership evolved into a prominent and public romance. In May 2023, Bezos proposed to Sánchez with a striking 30-carat pink diamond ring aboard his superyacht, Koru. The couple is now planning an extravagant wedding in Venice, Italy, scheduled for late June, with an estimated cost of $10 million and around 200 invited guests.
Beyond their personal relationship, Sánchez and Bezos have also joined forces in philanthropy and environmental initiatives. Sánchez is the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion climate-focused project. She is also the founder of Black Ops Aviation, an aerial filming company, and has authored a children’s book.
While their relationship has included legal controversy—such as a lawsuit involving leaked private messages—it has also become a symbol of high-profile partnership, ambition, and charitable involvement. Despite public scrutiny, the couple continues to work together on global initiatives and remains one of the most talked-about power couples in the world.
Organizers say the aim of the protests — which they insist will be entirely peaceful — is twofold, according to media reports.
“We want to spark a citywide conversation and to say that people like Bezos – who represent a future we don’t want and a world we don’t want to live in – are not welcome here,” Toninelli said, citing Bezos’ business ventures and his proximity to the Trump administration.
But Mayor Brugnaro said he was “ashamed” of the protesters: “What other city would organize a committee against the wedding of such an important person?”
“I hope [Bezos] doesn’t have second thoughts,” he said.
Echoing the mayor’s indignation, jeweller Setrak Tokatzian – who heads the association of St Mark’s shopkeepers – told Italian media that those who protest “hurt the city.”
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“This kind of event brings in work and wealth, otherwise all we have left is increasingly low-cost tourism.”
The protests in Venice against Bezos’ wedding reflect growing public frustration over wealth inequality, over-tourism, and environmental concerns. Locals see the extravagant celebration as symbolic of how the ultra-wealthy can disrupt historic cities for private events, while residents face rising costs and limited access. These protests highlight a broader cultural divide between elite privilege and community well-being.
For many, it might not just be about one wedding—it’s a stand against the commercialization of public spaces and a call to prioritize local voices, sustainability, and respect for cultural heritage over high-profile displays of wealth.
