Star wedding of Jeff Bezos: Venice in a state of emergency!

Star wedding of Jeff Bezos: Venice in a state of emergency!

The wedding reception of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, which takes place from Thursday to Saturday in Venice, attracts not only celebrity guests but also protests. Around 250 wedding guests are expected, including stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian and many others. The event has an estimated cost of up to 48 million euros. A pavilion at the Aman Hotel, a 7-star luxury hotel, was set up to protect the privacy of guests while at the same time setting up seating for the celebrations at the Arsenale. Celebrity chef Massimo Bottura could provide a sumptuous Saturday evening dinner that includes Venetian specialties like baccala and polenta.

To maintain the secrecy of the celebrations, Bezos required service providers to sign strict confidentiality agreements. Preparations have already been made at the Aman Hotel in strict secrecy, with mega yachts and over 80 private jets from Los Angeles, New York, London and Dubai having already landed at Marco Polo Airport.

Protests against the wedding

Despite the festive atmosphere, there are also significant protests in Venice. Activists from the climate group Extinction Rebellion and No Space for Bezos are raising concerns about the impact of the super-rich on the environment and local residents' lifestyles. The protests aim to draw attention to the rich's contribution to global warming and demand an end to the "privatization" and "exploitation" of Venice.

Protesters plan to demonstrate with banners and try to disrupt the arrival of guests by blocking channels. According to activists, such a large-scale event will disrupt the lives of locals and increase environmental problems as Venice is already struggling with the consequences of overtourism, which further drives up the cost of living in the city.

The importance of the event for Venice

Despite these challenges, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro is pleased with the opportunity to host this event, stressing that it will not cause significant disruption to local residents. The event has already resulted in the booking of five luxury hotels for guests, as well as the organization of at least 30 water taxis to transport them within the city.

The clash of celebrities and protests in Venice raises questions about both the role of wealth in society and the challenges facing tourist destinations. Given the burdens caused by mass tourism, city tourism in other European cities such as Barcelona has also been the focus of similar protests.