Activists Protest Bezos' Met Gala Sponsorship

Activists staged a fashion show in Manhattan to protest Jeff Bezos' sponsorship of the Met Gala, highlighting workers' rights and criticizing billionaire influence on culture. The event was organized by Labor is Art, a group comprising Amazon workers, their unions, and supporters.

Protesters gathered on Little West 12th Street, emphasizing that laborers have the power to tell their own stories and that their work makes Amazon successful. They criticized Bezos for bigfooting the city with his wealth and influence. Alexia Sol, a trans activist, walked in the show wearing Cindy Cruz and stated, “Billionaires are not the most important people in the world. The most important are the people, and when the people work for billionaires they’re just making them more money.” Samari Jomar Mercado, an Amazon warehouse employee, highlighted the physical toll of her job.

Additional protests included Everyone Hates Elon, a UK campaign group that dropped 500 small bottles of fake urine around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also projected video interviews with Amazon workers onto iconic buildings like the Empire State Building and Bezos’ penthouse.

Meanwhile, celebrities like Zendaya and Tom Holland decided not to attend the Met Gala this year. According to Daily Mail, Zendaya had previously attended but chose to skip due to Bezos' sponsorship. Bella Hadid also showed support for the protest by liking an Instagram video criticizing the event's alignment with Bezos.

As celebrities arrived at the Met Gala, Elle Feneide balanced atop a police barricade and held a sign that said: “Your red carpet is stained with BLOOD.” The 21-year-old protester mentioned the recent death of an Amazon warehouse worker as part of her motivation. She stated, “I believe that if you shake hands with murderers, there’s blood on your hands, too,” referring to Bezos and his involvement in the gala.

The controversy around labor practices at Amazon was a hot topic on New York City streets as Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, interacted with big-name invitees. The Met Gala faced backlash after the couple was announced as lead sponsors and later crowned honorary chairs for the Costume Institute’s premier fundraising event.

Fashion journalist Amy Odell noted that the gala invites the public to celebrate some of the most privileged people in the world, making it tough optically due to income inequality concerns. While Bezos defenders highlighted the gala's role as a critical fundraising tool for the museum, there was no doubt about its value in amplifying cultural cachet.

Veteran chair Anna Wintour brushed off questions around the backlash, and Max Hollein, the Met’s director and CEO, described the gala as part of American philanthropy. The event included co-chairs like Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, making it a hard-to-miss affair despite objections to Bezos' involvement.

Roughly two dozen protesters from Rise and Resist staged a “Resistance Red Carpet” near the Met’s steps, donning colorful outfits and unfurling a red carpet to strut against messages related to ICE and Bezos’ support for President Donald Trump. The group also projected calls to boycott the gala onto Bezos’ Manhattan penthouse.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, skipped the event to focus on making the city more affordable. Former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa criticized the guests inside for their indulgence and selfishness, emphasizing the need to address homelessness in the city.