A swift but highly symbolic protest marked the morning of Monday, June 23, in Venice, as a group of activists unfurled a giant banner in St. Mark’s Square. The action was organized by Greenpeace Italyin conjunctionwith the British group Everyone Hates Elon, and targeted the upcoming wedding of U.S. billionaire Jeff Bezos to journalist Lauren Sánchez. The gesture was aimed at drawing public attention to the economic inequality and environmental impact caused by the lifestyle of the super-rich. The blitz, which lasted a few minutes, involved a dozen activists who unfurled a 400-square-meter banner. In the center, an inscription addressed directly to Bezos “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax” (“If you can rent Venice for your wedding, then you can pay more tax”). A clear message addressed to the founder of Amazon, but also to an economic system deemed by Greenpeace to be unfair and unsustainable.
"Our wedding present for Jeff Bezos? Activists from Greenpeace Italy and the British action group Everyone Hates Elon brought him to Venice,“ reads a note published on the official website of Greenpeace Italy, which stresses that the initiative aims to draw attention to the social and climate injustice generated by the extreme concentration of wealth. According to the environmental association, the super rich like Bezos are leading the planet to collapse, complicit in lifestyles considered devastating to the environment and climate. The demonstration action is therefore part of a contestation of a social model that, according to the promoters of the protest, does not guarantee justice either environmentally or economically. ”On one side the arrogance of a few billionaires who have lifestyles that are devastating for the planet, on the other side all the people who suffer daily the damages of the environmental crisis": this is the juxtaposition that Greenpeace wanted to highlight with the Venetian action. The choice of location is not a random one. Venice, a World Heritage city, is also one of the symbols of environmental fragility, and at the same time one of the most exclusive and privatizable settings for luxury events such as weddings of the super rich.
According to Greenpeace, taxing billionaires like Jeff Bezos would be a necessary step to address the climate crisis and reduce inequality. The memo released after the raid states that “Taxing the super-rich like Bezos-along with fossil and defense industries-is a necessary step to ensure social and climate justice for people who struggle every day, while millionaires like Jeff Bezos can afford to shut down half the city for days on end just to celebrate their own wedding,” Greenpeace continues.
In addition to criticizing the economic power concentrated in the hands of a few, the protest also raised the issue of private use of public spaces and the closure of city areas for personal events. According to activists, those who can afford to close half the city for days should contribute more substantially to the collective welfare, including through fairer taxation. In the activists’ vision, taxing multibillion-dollar assets could be a major source of funding for the energy transition, allowing states to invest in renewable energy, green infrastructure and more equitable public welfare systems. “People cannot and should not pay for the severe consequences caused by the privileges of a few!” says Greenpeace. The action ended quickly, without tensions with law enforcement, and there are currently no reports or arrests. The raid, however brief, had a strong media impact, reviving the debate about the role of billionaires in the climate crisis and the social implications of their personal choices. This is not the first time Greenpeace has chosen visual protest as a political communication tool. Over the years, the organization has made urban theater one of its most recognizable stylistic figures. In this case, the combination of a worldly event of international scope and a highly symbolic location helped make the action particularly visible.
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| Greenpeace, maxi banner against Bezos: "If you can rent Venice, you can also pay more taxes" |
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