On June 23rd, just days before Billionaire Jeff Bezos’s Venice wedding, Greenpeace Italy and UK grassroots group called Everyone Hates Elon dropped a 20-meter banner in Piazza San Marco: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax”.
A video of the action broke the internet and quickly reached millions of views, while being picked up by major media outlets across the globe. It helped fuel the tax justice conversation in mainstream media like never before! Ranging from the BBC, The Times of India, The Times Live in South Africa, to every corner of the world. The message echoed far beyond the canals of Venice. The banner sparked global attention, with people all over the world resonating with the message.
The wedding cost soared from the initial reported amount of US$11 million to nearly US$50 million. This is a ludicrous figure against the backdrop of global poverty and a planet burning while billionaires flew in on private jets to party in luxury. And it all happened in Venice, a city whose delicate existence is a stark symbol of what’s at stake in a changing climate.
The message tapped into a growing call for governments to tax the super-rich. It echoed a growing, global frustration: Why are billionaires partying while the planet burns?
The Movement for Fair Taxation Continues to Grow
The message from Venice reached far beyond the city, it echoed all the way to Sevilla, where world leaders gathered for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (#FfD4).
The streets of Seville came alive with energy, outrage and demand for change amidst geopolitical tensions. We marched in solidarity with the broader #TaxTheSuperRich coalition, alongside many other civil society organisations from across the globe, calling out a system rigged in favour of billionaires and corporate polluters, at immense cost to people and planet.
The action marked the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development Conference (FfD4), where Greenpeace is calling on world leaders to push for ambitious commitments to fair new global rules on tax and debt, and to hold billionaires and fossil polluters accountable for the climate change they cause.
Among the creative protests? A float featuring Elon Musk, well, not the real one, but a spot-on stand-in, doing what he’s become infamous for: wrecking the planet for profit.
At the same time, real progress was being made inside the conference halls. A new coalition of countries, led by Spain, Brazil and South Africa, committed to advancing tax justice by taxing the super-rich and supporting the UN Tax Convention that is currently being negotiated.“Sevilla was a crucial moment… A glimmer of hope is the new coalitions of countries that have pledged bold action to tax the super-rich and polluting corporations,” said Fred Njehu, Global Political Lead at Greenpeace Africa.
South Africa’s Role: From Leadership to Legacy
It’s crucial that South Africa use the G20 presidency to further advance the action on new fair global tax rules, not just for the country, but for the continent and the world. Now, as the G20 Finance Ministers meeting takes place in Durban, all eyes are on President Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa has taken a bold stance in advancing tax justice. Now it must act on that promise. The G20 is a chance to lead by example, to push for bold tax reforms that deliver for people and the planet, not profit and pollution.
The Stakes Are Too High to Ignore
While billionaires like Bezos and Musk flaunt unimaginable wealth, using megayachts, private jets, and legal loopholes, millions of people are struggling with the fallout of climate collapse, economic injustice, and underfunded public services.
This isn’t about envy. It’s about accountability, democracy, and survival.
A fair tax on the super-rich could:
- Invest in sustainable, affordable and efficient energy and transportation, and all those climate solutions governments say we can’t afford.
- Support climate action and disaster recovery
- Fund universal basic services such as quality healthcare, affordable housing, education, water and sanitation
- Provide social protection for the most vulnerable
A Tipping Point for the Movement
Across platforms and headlines, millions of people are engaging, sharing, and demanding change. The tax justice movement is a global force backed by the broad majority of people around the world.
And with the UN Tax Convention underway and new tax initiatives being announced, this is a once-in-a-generation chance to reset the rules.
Demand governments tax the super-rich! Because this isn’t just about a banner or a billionaire wedding. It’s about breaking a system that protects wealth, not people or the planet.
Amrita Ranjit is Global Digital Engagement Specialist for the Fair Share campaign at Greenpeace Africa
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Amrita Ranjit www.greenpeace.org
