Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos has reportedly had to change one of his wedding event venues in Venice after a group of protesters threatened to block the canals surrounding the location with inflatable crocodiles, according to The Guardian.
The tech billionaire and his wife-to-be, Lauren Sanchez, a former journalist, were supposed to host a wedding party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a historic building dating back to the 1300s, but pivoted at the last minute amid protest and safety concerns, reports the U.K. outlet.
The venue change was also due in part to security concerns, after the U.S. bombed Iran, and because President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is in Venice for the wedding.
Venetian authorities have increased security throughout the city, particularly in the Jewish neighbourhood, the British outlet added.
Activists say they will not try to stop the wedding but will organize a “no Bezos, no war” march instead.
“We feel as if we scored a victory,” one activist, whom the Guardian did not name, said. “The crocodile initiative would have given a bad impression of the city — this is why the venue was changed, even if the authorities might try to claim it was because of the war.”
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The couple will now host their guests at Arsenale di Venezia, a fortified 14th-century complex of shipyards in the eastern Castello district, Reuters reported.
The new location is only accessible by boat and impossible to reach by land when the connecting bridges are raised.
The large shipyard used to serve the Venetian Republic’s maritime empire. Now the Arsenale has been restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.
For weeks, some residents and activist groups have been complaining that the days-long wedding will turn the scenic city into a private playground for the rich and famous, and have repeatedly threatened peaceful protests under the slogan “No space for Bezos.”
Greenpeace Italia and the British activist group Everyone Hates Elon are also part of the protests; they say they joined to bring attention to the “social and climate injustice” of such events.
While the exact date, time and location of the wedding ceremony remain under wraps, it is expected to take place between Thursday and Saturday, with approximately 200 guests arriving on an estimated 95 private jets in the coming days. The list reportedly includes the likes of Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk.
The couple are rumoured to be exchanging vows at the Cini Foundation on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore on Friday.
Venice is accustomed to hosting high-profile events, and celebrity weddings, perhaps its most notable to date being George and Amal Clooney’s in 2014.
Venice’s sprawling waterways and ancient architecture also attract swaths of international visitors, with some 20 million tourists pouring into the city annually.
In March, the mayor assured that Venice is equipped to manage the logistical responsibilities of hosting the Bezos-Sanchez wedding.
“We are mutually working and supporting the organizers to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” Luigi Brugnaro told People.
In recent days, a section of what appears to be the couple’s wedding invitation has been circulating online.
ABC News shared what it says is a snippet asking guests not to bring gifts, and that the couple plans to make donations to the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA, a local wildlife charity and the Venice International University.
— With files from Reuters
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