Palermo residents have taken to the streets in protest over the celebrity wedding celebrations of singer Dua Lipa and British actor Callum Turner, taking place in the Sicilian capital this weekend.
Lipa, 30, and Fantastic Beasts star Turner, 36, married in a registry office in London earlier in the week and chose Palermo for their wedding reception. Winner of multiple Grammy Awards, Dua Lipa rose to global superstardom with a string of chart-topping pop hits including Don’t Start Now, Levitating and New Rules.
The wedding celebrations in Palermo, estimated to cost around €1.5 million and being attended by hundreds of guests from around the world, run from Friday through to Sunday.
Protesters have plastered the city’s historic centre with posters and placed signs on barricades blocking public access to the area where the event is taking place.
Protests
Many local residents have rejected mayor Roberto Lagalla’s contention that the event will bring “great advertising returns” to Palermo.
The protests have been organised by young members of the permanent assembly ‘Apro Palermo’, a group that campaigns against overtourism.
Posters appeared early on Friday morning on the walls and shutters of Piazza Croce dei Vespri, close to the area where the celebrations were held between Palazzo Gangi and the city’s modern art gallery.
