BILLIONAIRE HAS TO MOVE WEDDING PARTY

VENICE VERSUS BEZOS City folk threaten croc blockade

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

AMAZON founder Jeff Bezos has been forced to relocate his wedding party after furious Venetians threatened to blockade the city's canals with inflatable crocodiles.

The billionaire, 61, had planned a star-studded afterparty at the 16th-century Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday as he celebrates his marriage to Lauren Sanchez with a three-day gathering in the Italian city.

However, amid a backlash from locals who accused him of shutting down Venice, the event has been moved to a more secure site.

Some protesters had vowed to block celebrity guests as they attempted to arrive by gondola or water taxi.

A photo released by Greenpeace revealed the level of Bezos's unpopularity. The environmental group, with campaigners Everyone Hates Elon, unfurled a sign in St Mark's Square saying: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax."

Tommaso Cacciari, of protest group No Space for Bezos, said of the venue change: "This is a big victory for us. Who would have thought that we could change the plans of one of the richest men on the planet?"

The wedding afterparty will now take place at the Arsenale, a fortress-like complex of shipyards and warehouses. The site is considered far easier to secure than the original venue.