Security concerns force Bezos to change wedding venue

The wedding of U.S. billionaire and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, which many world-famous figures are invited to, has been relocated due to protests and security concerns. According to reports in the U.S. press, Bezos and his fiancée, who had initially chosen the Scuola Grande della Misericordia—a medieval religious school building in Venice's Cannaregio district—for the wedding, changed their plans due to concerns regarding protests.

Some groups, complaining that the wedding planned in the historic city famous for its gondolas and palaces would turn Venice into a private playground for the wealthy, had threatened to stage protests and blockades due to the event.

The wedding ceremony, the exact location and date of which are kept secret, is expected to take place between Thursday and Saturday, with guests moving to a hall at the historic Venetian Arsenal in the Castello district of Venice following the ceremony. The venue, which is surrounded by water and becomes inaccessible by land when bridges are lifted, is considered much more secure than the historic school building in the Cannaregio district.

WORLD-FAMOUS NAMES TO ATTEND

The wedding, which is rumored to be attended by numerous famous names including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to host 200 to 250 special guests from the worlds of politics, finance, and entertainment.

The Venetian Arsenal, known as the "Arsenale," which was a massive shipyard used by the Republic of Venice, was restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.

ACTIVISTS HAD THREATENED

Amazon CEO and 61-year-old Bezos, who ranks 4th on Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest people, got engaged to 55-year-old Lauren Sanchez in 2023, four years after his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott ended. Following the announcement that the couple would hold their wedding in Venice, reports regarding protest demonstrations were published, and activists announced that they would turn the wedding night into a nightmare for Bezos and his guests.

News Source: İHA