"Eat the Rich": Protests Target the "Bezos Met Gala" Amid Climate Crisis
- Amali Subodha
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Nivedita Chakrapani, Jadetime Staff
NEW YORK — As the elite of Hollywood and Silicon Valley walked the red carpet inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the air outside was thick with the scent of smoke and the sound of chanting. The 2026 Met Gala faced its most significant disruption in history as thousands of protesters gathered to denounce the event's primary sponsor, Jeff Bezos.
The "Resistance Red Carpet"
The protests, organized by a coalition of 36 civil society groups including Greenpeace and the Tax the Rich Alliance, were a direct response to the perceived "artwashing" of billionaire reputations. Protesters wore colorful, tattered outfits that parodied the high-fashion looks inside, holding banners that read "Resistance Red Carpet" and "Tax the Rich."
"This is like Versailles," said fashion professor Mark O’Connell. "You have people partying in $100,000 tickets while the city faces an affordability crisis and the planet is on fire."
Climate Change and Economic Stability
The core of the unrest centered on two primary concerns:
1. Climate Accountability: Activists pointed to Amazon's massive carbon footprint, arguing that a $10 million donation to an art museum does not offset the environmental cost of the company’s global logistics network.
2. Wealth Disparity: With Jeff Bezos’s wealth hitting $275 billion, protesters highlighted that his net worth grew more during the four-hour gala than the average New York City worker would earn in several lifetimes.
The Political Boycott
The tension wasn't just outside the gates. Several high-profile invitees, including Zendaya, Meryl Streep, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pointedly skipped the event. Mayor Mamdani’s absence was particularly noted, as he released a statement saying the gala was "out of step" with the urgent need for economic stability and housing affordability in the city.
The 2026 Met Gala will likely be remembered not for its silk and sequins, but as the moment the gap between the "Gilded Age" tech moguls and the public finally reached a breaking point.
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