‘Venice is worn out’: locals see Jeff Bezos marriage ceremony as image of metropolis’s ills

[ad_1] M arta Sottoriva, a instructor in Venice, has tirelessly campaigned for varied causes in her cherished lagoon metropolis, from railing in opposition to large cruise ships to battling hovering rents. Now she is busy making ready banners, handing out flyers and shouting via megaphones in squares as she joins dozens of activists in whipping up resistance to the “umpteenth gigantic occasion” she says that dangers turning the world heritage web site – which has lengthy suffered from the consequences of extreme tourism – right into a playground for the wealthy.

Sottoriva is referring to the star-studded nuptials between the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, and Lauren Sánchez, a former TV journalist. The times-long shindig, anticipated to start from 24 June, would be the largest marriage ceremony held in Venice since George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin in 2014.

Whereas Venice residents largely embraced the Clooneys’ fairytale huge day, the Bezos marriage ceremony has been met with rather more antipathy. As quickly as Venice’s millionaire mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, confirmed in March that the couple could be getting married within the metropolis, activists mobilised their “No house for Bezos” marketing campaign.

A ‘No house for Bezos’ poster on a wall in Venice. Residents say they don’t need town to be reworked right into a playground for billionaires. {Photograph}: Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Posters that includes a picture of Bezos’s head on a rocket blasting into house – in reference to his Blue Origin house tourism enterprise – have appeared throughout town. The campaigners have additionally been spreading the phrase by handing out flyers at varied conventional Italian meals festivals, referred to as sagre, and internet hosting public conferences. Their boldest pre-wedding stunt to date was to erect a banner studying “No Bezos” on the bell tower of San Giorgio basilica on the Venetian island of the identical identify, the place the couple are rumoured to be exchanging their vows.

“There’s a variety of anger within the air as a result of as soon as once more the council has enslaved itself to the logic of revenue – our metropolis has been offered to the best bidder,” Sottoriva stated. “Each time an occasion of this sort occurs, town involves a standstill, sure areas turn out to be inaccessible and much more vacationers arrive. This marriage ceremony actually is the image of all that's fallacious with Venice.”

The main points of the nuptials are high secret, with Brugnaro’s council feeding the ire by not even confirming the exact dates. The festivities are scheduled for 24-26 June, though some say the marriage itself is not going to be held till 28 June.

Regardless of the scant info, for months the Italian press has been full of rumour about the whole lot from the 200 friends – notably Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and Ivanka Trump – and their €9,000-a-night lodge rooms, to the contingent reserving out your entire water taxi fleet and the various designer clothes the bride will put on through the celebrations.

A ‘No Bezos’ banner on the bell tower of San Giorgio basilica. {Photograph}: Marta Sottoriva Whereas town’s leaders are absolutely embracing the merriment and, furthermore, the riches they declare the festivities – rumoured to be costing £8.4m – will convey to town, their political rivals argue that the occasion is not going to profit atypical Venetians within the slightest.

“This marriage ceremony is inflicting a lot friction, particularly as a result of it's occurring at a time when Venice, already invaded by uncontrolled tourism, is totally worn out,” stated Giovanni Andrea Martini, a councillor for the opposition.

To make up for it, Martini would love Bezos, the world’s third-richest particular person, to assist deal with the inexpensive housing scarcity by donating cash in direction of restoring the greater than 1,000 council houses that lie deserted.

Brugnaro has insisted the marriage is not going to convey any inconvenience to town and has condemned the anti-Bezos campaigners as “shameful”.

Sottoriva says the difficulty shouldn't be essentially the individuals getting married per se, though she admits that Bezos’s affiliation with Donald Trump and Amazon’s file on staff’ rights doesn't bode effectively.

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A ‘No House for Bezos’ leaflet in a Venice bar. {Photograph}: Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Simone Venturini, Venice’s councillor for tourism, stated he struggled to understand why anybody would think about a non-public occasion of this sort to be irritating or dangerous for town. “Venice has already hosted extra advanced and impactful occasions,” he stated. “Is it maybe a fault that Venice is essentially the most stunning metropolis on the planet?

“We should always all be proud that the Bezos marriage ceremony, an occasion of worldwide significance, is being held within the waters of our lagoon. As a substitute, the standard protest professionals have wasted no time. We wish to reiterate that Venice is open to everybody.”

Marco Gasparinetti, one other Venice councillor, stated he may perceive a few of the angst however warned in opposition to believing the whole lot the newspapers had been writing. “This story about all of the water taxis being booked out shouldn't be true,” he stated.

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Whether or not or not the marriage causes mayhem within the metropolis all relies on the place it's held, he added. “If, as they are saying, it’s on San Giorgio then this might not create any inconvenience – the island has already hosted huge occasions such because the G7 in whole safety and so it's the good location.”

Whatever the precise marriage ceremony venue, Sottoriva and her counterparts haven't any plans to tone down their marketing campaign. “We’re planning an enormous demonstration on the day of the marriage,” she stated. “Watch this house.”