STORY: Oprah Winfrey and fashion designer Domenico Dolce arrived in Venice on Thursday (June 26) for the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez.

The three-day festivities will kick off on Thursday night with an open-air gathering in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central area of Cannaregio known for its lively nightlife, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

As celebrities arrived to attend the event, an activist protested in St. Mark's square, one of the symbols of the lagoon city, by climbing one of the poles in the square, a few metres from the famous bell tower. The activist unfurled a banner with the words “'The 1% ruins the world”' to protest against Bezos' presence in Venice.

''Not all of Venice welcomed him because there are citizens who have totally rejected the economic system he supports, a system that wants us to compete with each other”, the activist said.

During the three-day festivities stringent security may be needed to isolate the celebrities from activists who have been protesting for weeks that the celebrations would turn the city of gondolas and palazzi into a private amusement park for the rich.

''I think we should talk about these things, to be conscious about something that happens in the world, not just be silent'', tourist from Italian city of Bolzano said, witnessing the activist's protest.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Bezos' wedding guests arrive in Venice as activists protest in St.Mark's square

VIDEO SHOWS: BROADCASTER OPRAH WINFREY AND FASHION DESIGNER DOMENICO DOLCE, ARRIVING IN VENICE FOR JEFF BEZOS' WEDDING / ACTIVIST CLIMBING IN ST. MARK'S SQUARE TO PROTEST AGAINST BEZOS' WEDDING IN VENICE/COMMENTS OF TOURISTS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: VENICE, ITALY (JUNE 26, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. BROADCASTER OPRAH WINFREY GETTING ON BOAT

2. BOAT LEAVING

3. CANAL

4. BOAT CARRYING FASHION DESIGNER DOMENICO DOLCE

5. VARIOUS OF CANAL

6. VARIOUS OF ACTIVIST CLIMBING A POLE IN ST.MARK'S SQUARE HOLDING A BANNER READING (English): ''THE 1% RUINS THE WORLD''

7. PEOPLE IN ST.MARK'S SQUARE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM CANADA, STEVE PUZAI, SAYING:

''I'm not from this country, so I think a person as an individual has the right to hold the wedding wherever they want to hold it. So, he wants to hold it here, I think it's good for Venice because it brings people in. There's a lot of people coming around, and I think it's good for tourism.''

9. PEOPLE IN SQUARE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM ITALIAN NORTHERN CITY OF BOLZANO, MANUEL ROMEL, SAYING:

''I think it's good (to protest). I think we should talk about these things, to be conscious about something that happens in the world, not just be silent.

JOURNALIST ASKING: ''Could you explain why we should talk about it, why you think this is important?''

ROMEL SAYING: ''I think it's important for our future, for the environment, for our future.''

11. VARIOUS OF ACTIVIST CLIMBING

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM ATLANTA, US, MIKE MOODY, SAYING:

''I like the protest. I am glad that he's doing it and that everyone is being so cooperative about it. There's, you know, a lot of cooperation between him and it looks like the officials.''

13. VARIOUS OF ACTIVIST GETTING OFF

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ACTIVIST (NAME UNKNOWN) SAYING:

''Not all of Venice welcomed him because there are citizens who have totally rejected the economic system he supports, a system that wants us to compete with each other.”

15. VARIOUS OF TOURISTS IN ST. MARK'S SQUARE