• Activists shifted from planned canal blockades to organizing a large protest march against Jeff Bezos’s wedding in Venice.
• The march aims to spotlight wealth inequality, tax issues, and environmental challenges facing the city.
• Venice officials support the event, but many locals back the protesters’ calls for fairness and protection of the city’s heritage.

Venice is once again the setting for a clash between glitz and grassroots activism, as local protesters prepare to stage a significant march opposing Jeff Bezos’s extravagant wedding celebration. After weeks of bold demonstrations and last-minute changes to the wedding plans, activists are now focusing all their energy on Saturday’s protest, determined to make their voices heard in this historic city.

From Banners to a Bold Public March

The protest movement began earlier in June when No Space for Bezos, a local activist group, made headlines by unfurling a massive banner from the bell tower of Venice’s San Giorgio Maggiore basilica. The banner, boldly crossing out Bezos’s name, was a striking symbol of resistance against the billionaire’s presence. Soon after, Greenpeace and the group Everyone Hates Elon joined in, unveiling a huge banner in the famous St. Mark’s Square. The image of Bezos laughing alongside the words “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax” sharpened the spotlight on Amazon’s tax controversies in Europe.

These dramatic acts set the stage for what many hoped would be an even bolder protest: a blockade designed to stop guests from arriving by boat, effectively disrupting the event on the city’s famed canals.

Venue Change Forces Protesters to Adapt

However, the activists’ plans hit an unexpected hurdle. Organizers reportedly moved the wedding to the Arsenale, a 14th-century complex surrounded by water and accessible only by raised bridges. This shift made the original plan to block access by boat impossible.

Despite this setback, the protesters quickly recalibrated. Declaring the change itself a small win, they announced a pivot to a large-scale march through Venice’s streets instead. This march aims to bring attention to the inequalities they see in hosting such a lavish event in a city grappling with social and environmental challenges.

What the March Means for Venice

The upcoming march has energized activists and locals alike. Many see it as a chance to highlight how the city has become a playground for the ultra-wealthy while everyday Venetians face rising costs, tourism pressures, and environmental threats.

Organizers have promised the demonstration will be peaceful but determined, designed to amplify concerns over wealth concentration, tax fairness, and the impact of high-profile events on Venice’s fragile ecosystem.

Official Responses and Public Opinion

While protesters prepare to take to the streets, Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has praised the wedding as a prestigious occasion for the city. He downplayed the protests, suggesting the activists are merely using Bezos’s name to gain attention.

City officials have assured residents that daily life, including water taxi services, would continue uninterrupted during the event, stressing that Venice regularly hosts international summits and cultural festivals without significant disruption.

But the public remains divided. Many Venetians sympathize with the protesters, frustrated by what they see as the city’s slow erosion under the weight of tourism and luxury events. For them, the march represents more than just opposition to a wedding—it’s a stand for the future of Venice.

Looking Ahead

With the march scheduled for Saturday, the world will watch as activists flood Venice’s streets, voicing their demands for economic justice and environmental care. Though Bezos’s celebration is set to continue behind the closed gates of the Arsenale, the protesters’ message is clear: the fight over Venice’s identity and values is far from over.

In this battle between old-world charm and new-world wealth, the activists’ march may be just the beginning of a larger movement seeking to redefine what it means to protect one of the world’s most treasured cities.