Venice, June 23, 2025 – It was a symbolic moment that not only drew attention but cast a political spotlight on the relationship between power, money, and public space: activists from Greenpeace Italy, together with the British initiative “Everyone Hates Elon,” unfurled a huge banner in the middle of St. Mark’s Square – bearing the message: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.” The words were directed at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who was in the lagoon city at the time with around 200 prominent guests, including Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, and Jared Kushner, to marry Lauren Sánchez in a cordoned-off palazzo. The Venetian police confiscated the banner and recorded the personal details of those involved but later released them – there were no arrests. Yet the protest resonated far beyond the city limits. The action was part of a growing protest movement under the motto “No Space for Bezos,” which mobilizes against the privatization of public spaces, overtourism, and the symbolic appropriation of historic cities by billionaires. The Greenpeace action was supported by local groups, including students, anti-cruise ship activists, and housing rights organizations, who have been protesting for years against the hollowing out of the city through tourism and the creeping displacement of its residents. The accusation is serious: while ordinary citizens face rising rents, environmental issues, and the loss of social infrastructure, the super-rich like Bezos can rent entire palazzi for private grand events – with the backing of city officials and complete disregard for local interests. The Greenpeace protest focused in particular on the massive inequality in tax burden. Jeff Bezos, estimated to have a net worth of around 200 billion US dollars, is reported by investigative sources to pay as little as one percent of his actual income in taxes in certain years. While average earners in many countries contribute between 20 and 45 percent of their income, the ultra-rich manage to reduce their share in financing public goods to a minimum through complex setups of foundations, holding companies, and international loopholes. Greenpeace cites data showing that the global tax gap caused by legal tax avoidance and aggressive tax strategies by the ultra-wealthy amounts to several hundred billion dollars annually – money sorely needed worldwide to fight climate change, fund education, healthcare systems, and social security.
Greenpeace also criticized the ecological footprint that Jeff Bezos leaves behind, despite his heavily publicized “Bezos Earth Fund.” His travels by superyacht, private jets, and space rockets, along with the resource consumption of Amazon infrastructure and data centers, stand in stark contrast to the demands of a climate-conscious lifestyle. According to Greenpeace, the annual CO₂ emissions from travel by the world’s richest one percent exceed those of the entire lower half of the global population. The transport of guests to the wedding, the security measures, air travel, and logistical infrastructure all left an environmental footprint that runs counter to the image of green philanthropy. While the protesters aimed to send a message, authorities defended the grand event. According to the Italian government and Venice’s tourism administration, the wedding brought economic benefits estimated at 20 to 30 million euros. Hotels, restaurants, security services, and the private events sector all profited significantly – an argument that has long been used to justify luxury events in a lagoon city under enormous pressure. But critics warn that short-term gains cannot offset long-term social damage. The local population is shrinking, housing is becoming scarce, and Venice is increasingly turning into a stage set for elites. Adding further fuel to the fire was the revelation that the “Bezos Earth Fund” had already entered into talks with the Venetian environmental research body Corila prior to the protests – presumably to influence regional environmental projects through donations and partnerships. For many activists, this feels like indulgence wrapped in green branding – in a city already particularly threatened by climate change, rising sea levels, and the erosion of its social fabric.
Dass gerade jetzt der Protest eskalierte, hat auch mit der medienwirksamen Hochzeit selbst zu tun. Die Veranstaltung zog Prominente und Kamerateams aus aller Welt an – ein perfektes Momentum, um globale Missstände am Beispiel einer einzigen Person sichtbar zu machen. Jeff Bezos wurde zur Projektionsfläche eines umfassenderen Problems: der Frage, ob sich Macht, Einfluss und Reichtum mittlerweile außerhalb demokratischer Kontrolle bewegen. Greenpeace nutzte die Bühne, um auf die strukturellen Verwerfungen hinzuweisen, die entstehen, wenn sich Einzelne ganze Städte, Narrative und Politiken aneignen können – und das unter dem Deckmantel von Freiheit und Fortschritt. Was bleibt, ist das Echo eines Protestes, der stellvertretend steht für eine wachsende globale Unzufriedenheit mit der Normalisierung von Ungleichheit, mit der politischen Ohnmacht gegenüber wirtschaftlicher Allmacht und mit einem Klimakampf, der vor allem von jenen geführt wird, die ihn mit dem kleinsten ökologischen Fußabdruck führen müssten. Diejenigen aber, die den größten verursachen, feiern währenddessen ungestört weiter. In Venedig. Mit Feuerwerk. Und ohne Reue.
English 
German 
