This is happening6:26The Venetians plan to swim in the channels to disturb the wedding of Jeff Bezos
When the third richest man in the world binds the node in Venice this week, Federica Toninello plans to be outside, swimming in the channel.
Toninello is one of the hundreds of protesters who do everything in their power to disturb the generous locksmith of the founder Amazon Jeff Bezos in Venice, an Italian city that activists claim that they prioritize the desires of wealthy tourists in terms of the needs of the residents.
Because about 200 well -known guests arrive in Venice, booking huge swaths of luxury hotel rooms and water taxis, demonstrators intend to block the streets and waterways near the alleged place of wedding.
“We are going, we put our bodies in the Venice channels,” said Toninello This is happening Host Zero KÓ§ksal. “There will also be some boats. Whatever it can float, we will use it.”
Bezos “represents the future we don't want”
61 -year -old Bezos will marry the former anchor of Lauren Sanchez news, 55, this week after involvement in 2023.
The couple did not publicly publish any details about this event, but local media report three days of celebrations throughout the city, probably between 26-28 June.
The New York TimesReferring to unconfirmed reports in Italian newspapers, he identifies the likely locations of wedding events as Lido Beach, where the Film Festival in Venice takes place; The whole island of San Giorgio, which is usually public space; and Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a restored Renaissance space of the building and events.
The latter is a place where activists believe that the couple will say their weddings – and that's where Toninello is planning literally to spray.
While the mayor of Venice and some company owners praised the wedding as a source of income for the city, other Venice explains that the couple is not welcome by developed massive banners in public areas and plastering the city with anti-base posters.
Toninello is in the Protesting Group NO Space for Bezos, cooperation around a dozen Venetian organizations, including housing supporters, activists for anti -cruist ships and student activists.
The name of the group refers to Blue Origin, which recently launched a rocket with a crew from the whole family, which included the future bride.
Toninello claims that the group's main goal is to pay attention to the effects of excessive tourism in Venice, which, he claims, caused housing costs and forced Venetian residents to pack and leave.
They call the government to invest in education, environmental protection and inexpensive apartments to rebuild the decreasing local population.
“Tourism is not something that brings wealth to people. This is something that brings wealth only few people, and most of the time these people also do not live in Venice,” said Toninello.
But he says that Bezos is also protesting. She accused the billionaire of paying less than a fair share of taxes and enriched with the poor working people.
“He represents the future in which we do not want to live,” she said.
Bezos did not answer the request for comment.
Before the wedding, he donated for charity to Corili, the Venetian Association of Environmental Research, through his philanthropic organization, Bezos Earth Fund
Corila did not say how much the Bezos he gave, but it was noted that contacts began in April, long before the beginning of the protests.
Companies, politicians welcome a couple
The Greenpeace environmental group is also protesting against the wedding.
Activists from Greenpeace Italy and the British group “Everyone hates Elon” – referring to the owner of Tesla and former US president Donald Trump, Elon Musk – developed a giant banner on Central St. Square Mark with a photo of laughter Bezos and a sign: “If you can borrow a marriage for a wedding, you can pay more taxes.”
“The problem is not a wedding, the system is the system,” Simon Abbate, one of the protesters, told Reuters. “We think that one great billionaire cannot rent a city for his pleasure.”
But not everyone is against extravagance worth many millions of dollars.
Antonio Rosa Salva, whose dough business is one of several local suppliers providing wedding, said that such events bring the city “high -quality tourism”.
“I don't understand how an event of 200 people can cause interference,” Salva said. “This is responsible tourism. It is prestigious that this couple who can go anywhere in the world get married in the city.”
Regional Governor Luca Zesia said that the wedding would bring economic supervision to local enterprises, including automotive boats and gondolas that operate with countless channels. He said that the celebrations were to cost EUR 20-30 million ($ 31-47 million CDN).
The mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro raised protesters, addressing reporters in Venice on Friday, According to CNN.
“We will have to apologize to the Bezos,” said the mayor. “I am ashamed of those who behave like that. I hope that Bezos will come anyway. Not all Venetians think like those protesters.”
Toninello got to the mayor's comments.
“The one who should be ashamed of him is,” she said. “The way the city is now is from it.”
With Reuters and Associated Press files. Interview with Federica Toninello produced by Chris Harbord