Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos’ ‘wedding of the century’

ROME: Venice is divided ahead of next week’s celebrity wedding of US tech-tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura Sanchez, with some looking forward to the glitz and glamour, while others fear it will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into an amusement park.

Many details of the wedding are still under wraps - including the precise day it will happen - but it is certain that scores of stars from film, fashion and business will arrive to see Bezos tie the knot - provided they can get past the protesters.

One group has plastered banners on the city’s famous Rialto Bridge reading “No space for Bezos!” and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining that the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism.

“Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue,” said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the “No space for Bezos” campaign.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia, on the other hand, argue that the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals.

Eleven years ago actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations.