The protests that 'drove' Jeff Bezos' wedding out of central Venice

Protesters in Venice, Italy, have proclaimed a "great victory" after American tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wedding guests were forced to "flee" the Italian city center, moving the main celebration to another location.

The venues for the three-day wedding celebration of Bezos, one of the world's richest men, to TV presenter Lauren Sanchez have never been officially revealed.

However, the lavish festivities would culminate with an event on Saturday (28/6) at the sumptuous Scuola Grande della Misericordia, one of Venice's historic buildings.

A local official confirmed to the BBC that guests will instead gather at the Arsenal de Venecia, a former naval base further from the centre.

Activists felt triumphant, even as a city councilor called their protests "ridiculous."

"We are very proud of this! We are nobody, we have no money, nothing!" Tommaso Cacciari, from the group that calls itself No Space for Bezos, told the BBC.

"We are just citizens who started to organize, and we managed to expel one of the most powerful people in the world from the city."

The wedding kicks off later this week, and has a celebrity-studded guest list rumored to include Kim Kardashian , Mick Jagger and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as several members of the Trump family.

Private jets are expected to flock to Venice airport, with yachts dotting the harbor; five hotels are fully booked, and there are reports that former U.S. Marines have been hired to provide security.

The mega-event has sparked protests from a range of groups, from locals fighting against overtourism in Venice to climate change activists and those opposed to Bezos's support for US President Donald Trump.

In addition to the "No Room for Bezos" signs posted around the city in recent days, activists have hung protest banners on bridges over the canals.

On Monday, activists from a group calling themselves Everyone Hates Elon displayed a giant image of Bezos in St. Mark's Square to protest the super-rich with the slogan: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes."

"Our protest is not about marriage itself - it's about what it represents," Simona Abbate, a Greenpeace campaigner who was present, told the BBC.

"This is not just a celebration of two people's marriage, but a demonstration of a lifestyle that is simply unsustainable. The richest live in excess while others suffer the consequences of a climate emergency they did not create."

The activists have been heavily criticized by city authorities, who argue that these wealthy visitors are an important source of income.

"These protesters behave as if they own Venice, but they don't," Simone Venturini, the city's economic development councillor, told the BBC. "Nobody can decide who gets married here."

He said the groups were "a small minority" and did not represent the city.

"This event involves only 200 carefully selected guests, and will bring great economic benefits to the city," Venturini added, clarifying that all events were being held at privately owned venues.

However, the issue of overtourism is serious in Venice, as it is across southern Europe, where protesters say locals are being driven out of the city by high prices as a result of too many visitors.

Climate change is also putting the city at great risk of flooding.

Local authorities have introduced a daily fee of five euros for tourists to enter the city, but campaigners say this has not stopped more people from arriving.

With the first guests due to arrive for the wedding on Thursday (26/6), some activists planned to launch themselves into canals near the main venues, along with inflatable alligators. They wanted to try to block the passage of the rich and famous, prevent their fun — and make their point.

That protest has been canceled, but the No Space for Bezos group still plans to protest at a city building later this week, and on Saturday night, they are calling on people to join a march in their final protest demonstration.

"Bezos comes to Venice just to party, and that's the problem: this vision of Venice no longer as a city, but as a big theme park where you can rent parts or the whole city and do your private thing," said Tommaso Cacciari.

"He's sending the message that the whole city is a billionaires' party scene."