Hundreds of protesters have marched to Jeff Bezos’ $35 million megamansion in Washington, D.C to protest Amazon’s role in providing technology to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The demonstrators chanted and brandished placards as they made their way from Capitol Hill to the palatial home of Amazon CEO Bezos, located in the ritzy neighborhood of Kalorama.
Amazon Web Services ‘hosts Department of Homeland Security databases that allow ICE to track and arrest immigrants’, according to Newsweek, which has attracted the ire of immigration protesters across the country.
Demonstrator Julio López Varona told Newsweek that Amazon is ‘one of the very few tech giants to hit the $1 trillion mark in market value’ and ‘should not have to rely on ICE for profit.’
‘We are at a moment when the federal administration is openly moving forward with a racist and xenophobic agenda that has been stamped by Congress and the courts constantly, but at the same time by corporations like Amazon,’ Varona stated.
Hundreds of protesters have marched to Jeff Bezos’ $35 million megamansion in Washington, D.C to protest Amazon’s role in providing technology to Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Amazon Web Services, owned by Jeff Bezos, ‘hosts Department of Homeland Security databases that allow ICE to track and arrest immigrants’, according to Newsweek. Bezos is pictured in St Tropez with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez last month
The Bezos megamansion is located in the ritzy neighborhood of Kalorama – a short distance from Capitol Hill
One protester referenced Amazon’s virtual digital assistant, Alexa, by brandishing a sign which read: ‘Alexa, unite my family!’
The neon yellow placard was later seen hanging on a fence near Bezos’ palatial property, which he purchased for around $23 million in 2016, and is the largest private home in the city.
Bezos has spent the past three years – and a further $12 million – renovating the 27,000-square-foot home.
On completion it will boast 25 bathrooms, 11 bedrooms, five living rooms, two kitchens, two libraries, two workouts, two elevators, and even a ballroom, according to planning requests.
Bezos – who is the world’s richest man – is planning on spending more time in the capital in the future.
Amazon Web Services ‘hosts Department of Homeland Security databases that allow ICE to track and arrest immigrants’, according to Newsweek , which has attracted the ire of immigration protesters across the country
The neon yellow placard was later seen hanging on a fence near Bezos’ palatial property, which he purchased for around $23 million in 2016, and is the largest private home in the city.
Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez were not inside the home – which has not been fully renovated – at the time of the protest.
However, one demonstrator scrawled ‘Bezos No Tech 4 ICE’ on the pavement outside the mansion.
In recent months, Amazon has received increased scrutiny for selling services to Planatir- a data mining company that works with ICE.
Palantir has a $41 million contract with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the criminal investigative division of ICE, to build and maintain case management software that helps agents consolidate information about suspects.
In recent months, Amazon has received increased scrutiny for selling services to Planatir- a data mining company that works with ICE
One demonstrator scrawled ‘Bezos No Tech 4 ICE’ on the pavement outside the mansion.
Back in July, an internal email among Amazon employees reportedly circulated around the company, renewing calls to drop Palantir as an Amazon Web Services customer.
‘Our demands have become even more urgent given recent news. The U.S. government has been responsible for detaining people, including young children, in concentration camps under horrific conditions,’ the email read, according to Forbes.
In total, more than 500 Amazon employees signed the letter addressed to CEO Jeff Bezos and AWS head Andy Jassy, according to the internal email.
Meanwhile, organizers of Thursday’s march disseminated an itinerary which stated similar sentiments.
One part of the message read: ‘Activists hope to demonstrate the widespread dissent of the role Congress and corporations have played in perpetuating the criminalization of immigrants in this country’.
Bezos has not yet made public comment on Thursday’s demonstrations.
On completion, Bezos home will boast 25 bathrooms, 11 bedrooms, five living rooms, two kitchens, two libraries, two workouts, two elevators, and even a ballroom, according to planning requests