Global environmental organization Greenpeace made headlines Monday by staging a protest in St. Mark’s Square against Jeff Bezos’ upcoming wedding to journalist Laura Sanchez. Unfurling a 20-by-10-meter banner depicting the Amazon founder laughing beside the slogan “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,” activists from Greenpeace Italy and the UK offshoot Everyone Hates Elon (Musk) decried what they call the “commodification” of one of the world’s most vulnerable heritage sites. Their action shines a spotlight on the broader concerns about overtourism, ecological fragility and billionaire privilege that have stirred local resentment as Venice braces for a three-day celebration expected to inject up to €30 million into the lagging economy.

Highlighting Venice’s Struggle with Overtourism

Once home to more than 150,000 residents at its peak in the mid-20th century, Venice’s population has dwindled to fewer than 50,000 permanent inhabitants, as rising housing costs and a relentless flood of tourists drive locals to the mainland. In 2024, the city recorded a record 25 million visitors—equivalent to more than 600 cruise ships docking at its terminals—exacerbating wear on its 1,200-year-old palaces, narrow alleys and delicate canal systems. Many Venetians believe that allowing a single individual to “rent” the city for an exclusive wedding underscores the failure of authorities to rein in mass tourism through measures such as visitor caps, higher entrance fees or restrictions on daily cruise ship arrivals.

“Venice is not a theme park,” said Simona Abbate, one of the Greenpeace protesters. “It’s a living city with people who need housing, schools and hospitals, not just selfie-stick tours.” Abbate pointed to the recent approval of luxury development projects in the Castello and Giudecca districts—areas once populated by working-class families—as evidence that local policymakers prioritize short-term tourism dollars over long-term community resilience. The mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has defended hosting the Bezos wedding, arguing that the influx of high-spending guests would benefit restaurants, craftspeople and the hundreds of gondoliers whose incomes have suffered since the pandemic.

Environmental Concerns and the Climate Crisis

Beyond overtourism, Greenpeace’s action underscores growing alarm over Venice’s vulnerability to climate change. The city endures “acqua alta” (high-water) events up to 160 times a year—nearly double the frequency of a decade ago—flooding St. Mark’s Basilica, submerging walkways and eroding historic foundations. Scientists attribute this rise in flooding to a combination of subsidence (the gradual sinking of the lagoon floor) and sea-level rise driven by warming polar ice masses. A lavish wedding involving dozens of private yachts, helicopter flights and air-conditioned venues would generate a significant carbon footprint at a time when climate targets demand urgent emission cuts.

“Venice is a canary in the coal mine for coastal cities worldwide,” said Dr. Elena Rinaldi, an environmental geologist at the University of Padua. “Celebrations of this scale by the ultra-wealthy fly in the face of a need for radical reductions in greenhouse gases.” Greenpeace also criticized Bezos’ stewardship of his own space-flight enterprise, which recent studies estimate emits up to 7,000 tons of CO₂ per rocket launch—equivalent to the annual emissions of over 800 cars. Protesters argue that such acts of conspicuous consumption deepen global inequities in the climate crisis, as poorer nations and communities face the brunt of warming impacts despite contributing far less to historic emissions.

Calls for Progressive Taxation on Billionaires

At the heart of Greenpeace’s message is a demand for economic justice. The “rent Venice” stunt highlights only one example of tax privileges enjoyed by the world’s richest individuals, who often shield vast wealth behind complex financial structures. With Bezos’ net worth estimated at over \$200 billion, activists argue that a modest “Venice surcharge” on events costing more than €10 million could fund essential services for residents—such as subsidized housing, flood defenses and sustainable public transport—without denting billionaire fortunes.

“Our banner isn’t about punishing personal happiness but exposing a tax system rigged in favor of the super-rich,” said Gianni Bianchi of Greenpeace Italy. “If we can’t reinvest some of that wealth to save the lagoon and its people, we’re complicit in the collapse of Venice itself.” Similar campaigns in France and Spain have called for “luxury event levies” on mega-weddings and yacht charters, with initial success: the French government recently introduced a 5% surcharge on private event permits in heritage sites, earmarked for conservation funds.

Venice’s officials have pushed back, describing the Bezos wedding as a much-needed boost for a tourism sector still recovering from COVID-19 lockdowns and a downturn in Chinese arrivals since 2023. Governor Luca Zaia estimated that the wedding could generate up to €30 million for local businesses—hotels, caterers, musical ensembles and artisanal mask-makers—while signaling Venice’s continued appeal as a global destination beyond mass cruise-ship day-trippers. Mayor Brugnaro emphasized that Bezos had pledged €1 million to Corila, a consortium dedicated to studying and protecting the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem.

Yet many small-business owners fear the economic gains will be unevenly distributed, with marquee hotels and high-end restaurants reaping most of the reward while neighborhood shops and long-standing cooperatives see little benefit. Some residents have mounted their own “peaceful blockade” plans, vowing to sit in gondolas across the Grand Canal if authorities grant unlimited water taxi access to wedding guests. These plans, though nonviolent, underscore the depth of local frustration: Venetians want durable solutions to housing shortages and rising living costs, not short bursts of celebrity spectacle.

Broader Implications for Urban Heritage Sites

Greenpeace’s protest in Venice reflects a global dilemma faced by historic cities from Dubrovnik to Kyoto: how to balance tourism-driven revenue with preservation of urban fabric and resident welfare. Heritage managers warn that the “Instagram effect”—where visitors flock to famous backdrops triggered by social-media posts—can accelerate wear on monuments and displace local culture. In Venice, UNESCO has flagged the city as “at risk” since 1987 and continues to press Italy for comprehensive management plans that limit visitor numbers and encourage sustainable tourism models.

Activists hope the Bezos wedding saga will spark a wider debate on governing rights to cultural commons. “When a billionaire treats an entire city as a backdrop for a private party, it reveals an alarming trend: we are fast losing the concept that heritage belongs to everyone,” said Alessia Marino, director of the Venice Urban Commons Initiative. “We need enforceable regulations, not just moral appeals, to protect these treasures.”

As preparations continue for what planners call the “wedding of the century,” Greenpeace vows to keep the spotlight on Venice’s deeper struggles. Their next action, tentatively scheduled for the Rialto Bridge later this week, aims to deliver a petition signed by thousands of locals calling for a cap on mega-events and the redirection of luxury fees into long-term conservation and community projects. Whether these measures gain traction with national lawmakers or merely fuel an uproar remains to be seen, but activists insist that Venice’s future depends on curbing the privileges of the ultra-wealthy in favor of collective stewardship.

(Adapted from APNews.com)