Venice in Turmoil: Jeff Bezos’ Billionaire Wedding Ignites Protests, Security Chaos, and Outrage in Historic City—Why Are Locals Furious? Unprecedented Secrecy, Lavish Displays, and Celebrity Intrigue Fuel Speculation About What’s Really Happening Behind Closed Doors at the Year’s Most Controversial Event. The Shocking Details No One Expected!

Venice became divided as billionaire Jeff Bezos’ wedding prepared to take place here. One side praised the event for adding to the city’s reputation, the other worried that Venice would be turned into a stage for the super-rich.

Private planes hover in the sky. Superyacht gliding over the lagoon. The restaurant prepares the best dishes. Service dogs are on duty on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, in front of the Doge Palace.

The city of Venice in Italy — the venue that set the standard for extravagant, glitzy from centuries ago — is ready for the wedding of tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and broadcaster Lauren Sánchez. From June 26-28, a series of influential people, rappers, pop stars, celebrities on the guest list will become “residents” of Venice.

According to the New York Times, city officials and business owners are very proud and excited about the money and prestige that this event brings. They see the wedding as an affirmation of Venice’s global standing.

On the contrary, some people, especially the leftist group in Venice, are not satisfied. They think that holding a wedding here means that the core identities of Venice have deteriorated, becoming a “backdrop” in photos serving the world’s emerging oligarchs.

The perfect choice?

The protesters – with the slogan “No Space for Bezos” – vowed to protest to the end and they have achieved certain goals.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancé arrived in Venice on June 25 to prepare for the wedding. Photo: Reuters.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancé arrived in Venice on June 25 to prepare for the wedding. Photo: Reuters.

The wedding ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia – a sixteenth-century structure in the city center. Under pressure from the protests and security concerns, the wedding was moved to the Arsenale, a shipyard complex surrounded by solid walls that made it difficult for protesters to enter.

Plans to allow Bezos’ superyacht to dock in Venice were also canceled.

On June 23, the anti-billionaire group “Everyone Hates Elon” and Greenpeace Italy unfurled a giant protest banner on St. Mark’s Square.

“If you can afford to rent Venice for a wedding, pay more taxes,” the banner read, above a picture of Mr. Bezos smiling.

Banners protesting Mr. Bezos in St. Mark’s Square. Photo: Reuters.

The Venetian authorities were furious, accusing the protests of “damaging the reputation” of the city.

In many ways, Venice was the perfect choice for the wedding of the Bezos-Sánchez couple as it was a symbol of wealth and power, with its gold-plated marble palaces, frescoes, and paintings by Renaissance masters.

Since making their relationship public 6 years ago, the two have continuously flaunted their love and luxurious life all over the world. Recently, the couple has been taking photos with friends from Hollywood more often than from Silicon Valley. Therefore, it is not surprising that they preferred the location that witnessed the wedding of Hollywood stars George and Amal Clooney 10 years ago.

Bezos’s wedding preparations are more discreet than some U.S. military plans. Partners must sign an information confidentiality agreement. A source said the organizers had booked about 30 water taxis to serve guests. Another revealed that about 90 private planes will land at Venice airport. An individual said seven yachts related to the wedding ceremony had booked anchorages.

Over the past week, workers have erected a wide white roof over the Teatro Verde open-air theater on the island of San Giorgio. On June 23, unloading workers and tables and chairs near the island’s yacht club, near the Borges Maze inspired by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. Meanwhile, the Gritti Palace and the Papadopoli Palace will be reserved for wedding guests.

The menu is kept private, but employees of Italian luxury catering company Federico Salza have started appearing on the island of San Giorgio since June 23. In addition, Antonio Rosa Salva – the sixth-generation owner of the Venetian pastry shop who served the local aristocracy – shared that he felt “pressure” to serve cakes to wedding guests.

“Venice is not a restaurant, we are not a waitress”

With the money flowing into the pockets of Venetian workers and Mr. Bezos donating to local research and conservation organizations, city officials wonder what the locals have to do with this wedding.

“If I open a restaurant, I’m happy to have Bezos as a customer, instead of having the waiter at the door stop him from entering,” said city official Simone Venturini.

However, many residents insist Venice is not a restaurant, and they are not waiters.

“It is this notion that has pushed all residents to the margins, to see Venice as an amusement park, not a city,” said Tommaso Cacciari, who led the anti-wedding protests.

Ivanka Trump – the daughter of US President Donald Trump – and her children were in Venice to attend the wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos. Photo: Reuters.

As a visionary entrepreneur who has been pushing the boundaries of innovation and breakthrough technology, Bezos came to Venice – a city once built on creativity – not to open a research center or an industrial park, but to host a party. Therefore, for many Venetians, the tech mogul’s wedding is a paradox.

Mr. Bezos contributes to accelerating the pace of human life. However, it is the speed and constant change that contrasts sharply with the fragility of Venice – a place that seems to have been forgotten by time. Spaceship projects make the city’s traditional boats look like ancient relics. Some residents lament that Amazon packages delivered by boat have indirectly bankrupted many local stores.

Moreover, some people point out that Mr. Bezos is not a Hollywood star like George Clooney. Bezos’ level of wealth and the couple’s aesthetic style are contrary to the perspective of many Europeans. Above all, the fact that Mr. Bezos is close to US President Donald Trump makes the wedding somewhat tinged with political colors, different from ordinary entertainment actors and singers.

For local officials, the protests are paradoxical, as Venice is globally famous and always welcomes tourists.

“Venice belongs to anyone, including Jeff Bezos,” said Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region.

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