Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez began three days of lavish wedding celebrations in Venice on Thursday with tight security shielding their VIP guests from protesters.

Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom and the Queen of Jordan were among the latest arrivals, joining Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who showed up on Tuesday, have used the extra time for sightseeing and shopping.

Some 200-250 A-listers from show business, politics and finance are expected to take part in what has been widely dubbed “wedding of the century”, estimated to cost around $50 million.

The event has stirred a debate about its impact on one of the world’s most beautiful cities, with protesters seeing it as an example of Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders, but others enjoying the spectacle and the spending.

An activist climbed one of the poles in the main St Mark’s Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner with the words “The 1% ruins the world” to protest against the presence of the billionaire Bezos in Venice.

Guests were gathering on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church in the central district of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th century painter Tintoretto.

The city council banned pedestrians and water traffic from the area from 4.30 p.m. (1430 GMT) until midnight, to provide security and seclusion for the partygoers.

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