Venice plans to march in the streets, and swimming in the channels to disable Jeff Bezos’s wedding

When the third richest man in the world connects the knot in the Venice this week, Federica Toninello plans to be outside, swimming in the channel.

Toninello is one of the hundreds of demonstrators who do everything they can to disrupt the resources of the luxurious Amazon Jeff Bezos in Venice, an Italian city that activists say it gives priority to the desires of wealthy tourists about the needs of its residents.

As about 200 high -level guests arrive in the gun, and they booked severe spaces of luxury hotel rooms and water taxis, demonstrators intend to prevent streets and waterways near the alleged wedding place.

“We put our bodies on Venice channels As it happens Nil Kӧksal host. “There will also be some boats. Whatever you can float, we will use them.”

Bezos represents the future that we do not want.

Bezos, 61, will marry former news anchor Lauren Sanchez, 55, this week after engaging in 2023.

The couple publicly did not issue any details about the event, but the local media stated that there will be three days of celebrations throughout the city, most likely between June 26 and 28.

New York TimesQuoting unconfirmed reports in Italian newspapers, it determines the sites of possible wedding events such as Lido Beach, where the Venice Film Festival is held; The entire Saint Georgio Island, which is usually a public space; And Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, the Renaissance Renaissance Building and the event space.

The latter is the place where activists believe that the couple will say their covenants – this is the place in which Toninello plans to make them a spray, literally.

While the mayor of Venice and some business owners praised the wedding as a source of income for the city, the other gun shows that the couple is not welcome through huge signs in public areas and the city’s balance with anti -bizus stickers.

Toninilo, with the protest group, there is no space for Pezus, a cooperation between about ten Venice organizations, including housing defenders, the activists of the anti -students and student activists.

The group name refers to Bezos’s Space Technology, Blue Orige, which recently launched a missile with a female crew that included the bride.

Toninilo says the group’s main goal is to draw attention to the effects of excessive tourism in Venice, which she says has paid housing costs and forced the residents of Venice to overcome and leave.

They are calling the government to invest in education, environmental protection and affordable housing to rebuild the purely local population.

“Tourism is not something that brings richness to people,” Toninilo said.

But she says they are also protesting against Bezos. She accused the billionaire of paying less than his fair share in taxes, and is rich in the emergence of working poor.

“It represents the future that we do not want to live,” she said.

Bezos did not respond to a request for comment.

Before the wedding ceremony, he made a charitable donation to Corila, a Phoenician Environmental Research Association, through his charitable organization, Pesus Earth Fund

Corella will not say the amount of Bezos donation, but the said contacts started in April, before the protests began.

Companies, politicians welcome the couple

Greenpeace is also protest against the wedding.

Activists from Greenpis Italy and the UK Group “Everyone hates Elon” – referring to Malik Tesla and former US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk – a giant banner in the Saint Mark Square, which includes a picture of Bezous laughing and reading the brand: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes.”

“The problem is not the wedding, the problem is the system,” Simona Abe, one of the demonstrators, told Reuters. “We believe that the large billionaire cannot rent a city for his happiness.”

But not everyone opposes millions of dollars.

Antonio Rosa Salva, who is a pastry work one of many local sellers who provide the wedding, said that events like this bring “quality tourism” to the city.

“I don’t see how an event with 200 people can create a disturbance,” Salva said. “It is a responsible tourism. It is a prominent matter to marry a couple of that such, who can go anywhere in the world, in the city.”

Regional ruler Luka Zaya said that the wedding will achieve economic intravenously for local companies, including car boats and gendolios that run countless channels. He said that the celebrations are expected to cost between 20 to 30 million euros (31-47 million dollars from CDN)

Venice mayor Luigi Brojnearo criticized the demonstrators while addressing the journalists in Venice on Friday, According to CNN.

“We will have to apologize to Bezos,” the mayor said. “I feel shy about those who behave like this. I hope Bezos will come in any case. Not all rifles are thinking of such demonstrators.”

Toninello set out in mayor’s comments.

“The person should be ashamed is,” she said. “The way the city is now, because of it.”

---

With the files from Reuters and the Associated Press. An interview with Federica Toninello produced by Chris Harbord