...VENICE, ITALY - JUNE 28, 2025: Around a thousand people took to the streets of Venice on Saturday, June 28, to protest Jeff Bezos' lavish wedding. The demonstrators, carrying placards and waving flags, marched from the Station Square to the iconic Rialto Bridge, chanting slogans against the Amazon founder, multinational corporations, and in support of Palestine. “They think they are buying a city as if it were a toy to be used as they please, but people live here in Venice and they don't need that,” said Paola, one of the activists taking part in the rally. “Amazon is exploitation—of people, of labor, of children's rights,” she added. “Let’s be informed, let’s realize that Amazon is just a big factory of destruction—of territories, people, and labor.” Another activist, Hans Peter, criticized the environmental impact of the event. “You can stay outside with your friends, because all the private planes—almost 100—have caused more problems for the city’s air system than this donation, which is almost nothing,” he said. “If Bezos were serious, he would first change Amazon’s parcel distribution system, which has a very negative effect globally,” he added. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez tied the knot Friday in Italy, in a wedding that sparked weeks of protests. The “wedding of the year,” which has been the talk of the town in Venice and around the world for weeks, saw the 61-year-old US billionaire and his 55-year-old partner Sanchez get married in a “grand” wedding on Venice's San Giorgio Island, under extensive security measures that was attended by famous guests. While the wedding was closed to the media, Sanchez announced her marriage with a photo on Instagram, where she added “Bezos” to her last name.