Analysis
Bezos wedding: 43 climate protesters arrested and even Forza Italia complains
Forza leader: ‘Bezos is getting married in the Venice lagoon and pays negligible taxes on his extremely wealthy enterprises.’
The Venetian wedding of Amazon magnate Jeff Bezos and journalist-“philanthropist” Lauren Sánchez began in grand style. Forty-three Extinction Rebellion activists were taken into custody on Thursday morning after staging a brief, peaceful protest in St Mark’s Square in the form of a fake wedding: a bride and groom leading a planet and crouching figures, all on leashes – “governments, media, economy and justice” – while a banner proclaimed “The 1% is ruining the world.” Nearby placards read “Gaza could be rebuilt with the money for this wedding” and “War on Earth, business on the Moon.”
The protest lasted only minutes before police intervened, identifying and removing the protesters to police headquarters, where they were held for the whole day. All 43 were cited for an unauthorized demonstration; masked participants were also accused of refusing to unmask, a charge they deny. Two passers-by were also caught up in the sweep. “The wedding of Jeff Bezos and his 250 ultra-rich guests in the city that is a symbol of the climate crisis is one of the paradoxes of our time, while the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few billionaires is influencing the whole global system, steering governments and the media, threatening democracies and worsening the eco-climate crisis, of which Venice is a sad, tangible example,” said Elisa, one of the activists detained.
Angelo Bonelli, leader of Europa Verde, announced that he would be putting forward a parliamentary question: “We want to know why in this country every privilege is guaranteed to the super-rich, while people who protest and demand work, climate, social and fiscal justice are criminalized,” said the AVS deputy.
Some unexpected backing came from the Forza Italia group leader in the Chamber, Maurizio Gasparri, who at a consumer-rights forum blasted the small taxes paid by the web giants: “Bezos is getting married in the Venice lagoon and pays negligible taxes on his extremely wealthy enterprises.”
The protesters detained echoed the same view: “We’re saying this once again, from the police headquarters of the city that is a symbol of the climate crisis: it is time to tax the super-rich and use that money for the ecological transition and social welfare. No citation or expulsion order will be able to save Venice,” the activists said.
On the other hand, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro is delighted with the “galactic” three-day party. On Thursday, he praised Bezos, claiming “he could do anything for Venice.” In classic trickle-down style, the billionaire asked his two hundred VIP guests – landing in about 90 private jets – to forgo gifts and donate instead to UNESCO-Venice, the lagoon-research consortium, and Venice International University, thus providing the city he has effectively rented out with the crumbs from the table of the super-wealthy. Bezos reportedly wrote that it was a privilege to be in Venice and contribute, even in part, to preserving its beauty for the next generations.
On Thursday, the festivities began in Campo della Madonna dell’Orto with a reception for the arriving guests. City hall closed off the surrounding streets, effectively reserving a whole slice of Venice to the wedding – an event the decision by the Brugnaro administration calls “of international importance.” On Friday, the ceremony itself is set to take place on San Giorgio Maggiore island, where the abbey bell tower has been closed to prevent another banner being displayed like on 12 June, when activists unfurled one featuring Bezos’s name with a strike-through.
Finally, on Saturday, the closing party – at which Lady Gaga may perform – will take place at the Arsenale. That was not the newlyweds’ first choice: they had booked the Scuola della Misericordia, but protesters vowed to dive into the canals to stop the boats of the VIPs from arriving. The Arsenale offers tighter control; nonetheless, the protesters will still march from Santa Lucia station on Saturday afternoon: “We are taking to the streets not only for Venice’s dignity – to say, as in the U.S., ‘No Kings’ – but also to shout: No Space for Bezos, No Space for War! Today more than ever, the only solution is peace.”
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/lantipasto-di-bezos-43-denunce on 2025-06-27