Protesters flood Venice’s streets during Amazon founder Bezos’s wedding

Protesters denounced the Amazon billionaire’s multimillion-dollar wedding successful Venice arsenic the metropolis deals with biology concerns.

Hundreds of protesters marched done Venice to accidental “no” to Amazon laminitis and billionaire Jeff Bezos’s wedding connected its 3rd time of a multimillion-dollar celebration.

The world’s fourth-richest man, Bezos, and his bride, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, got joined successful a backstage ceremonial connected Friday with astir 200 personage guests connected the secluded land of San Giorgio.

But earlier the last enactment connected Saturday evening arsenic portion of a three-day wedding event, protesters filled Venice’s cardinal streets and held banners that work “Kisses Yes, Bezos No” and “No Bezos, nary War”.

Another poster read: “The satellite is burning, but don’t worry, here’s the database of the 27 dresses of Lauren Sanchez.”

For the past fewer days, residents person protested crossed the metropolis implicit what they person said is choler arsenic Venice suffers from over-tourism, precocious lodging costs and the changeless menace of climate-induced flooding.

Activists signifier a protestation connected the Rialto Bridge successful Venice, Italy [Luca Bruno/AP]

Martina Vergnano, 1 of the demonstrators, said they were present to “continue ruining the plans of these affluent people, who accumulate wealth by exploiting galore different radical … portion the conditions of this metropolis stay precarious”.

According to the Venetian Environmental Research Association, Bezos donated 1 cardinal euros ($1.17m) each to 3 biology probe organisations moving to sphere Venice.

Flavio Cogo, a nonmigratory who besides joined Saturday’s protest, said they privation a “free Venice, which is yet dedicated to its citizens”.

“Those donations are conscionable a misery and lone aimed astatine clearing Bezos’ conscience,” Cogo said.

Venetian businesses and governmental leaders welcomed the wedding, contempt the protests, and hailed it arsenic a important economical boost.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said those protesting were “in contradiction with the past of Venice, which is simply a past of relations, contacts and business”.

“Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is much Venetian than the protesters,” said the centre-right mayor, adding that helium hoped Bezos would instrumentality to the metropolis to bash business.

Demonstrators instrumentality portion successful a protestation against Amazon laminitis Jeff Bezos, connected the 3rd time of Jeff Bezos and his woman Lauren Sanchez Bezos’s wedding festivities, successful Venice, Italy [Manuel Silvestri/Reuters]