Posters calling for a boycott of the 2026 Met Gala have appeared wheatpasted across New York City streets in recent days. The signs target Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, who serve as lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the high-profile event. Activists accuse Amazon of worker exploitation and enabling US immigration enforcement through its technology contracts.
The 'Boycott the Bezos Met Gala' posters carry a message no one expected in the run-up to fashion's biggest night. One prominent design places a urine-filled water bottle on the red carpet, captioned 'The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation.' A second version shows a tear gas canister in the same glamorous setting, labelled 'brought to you by the firm that powers ICE'.
The Posters' Unexpected Message
The striking visuals are designed to shock and draw attention to long-standing criticisms of Amazon. Delivery drivers have reportedly resorted to using plastic bottles for relief to keep up with demanding quotas, a practice the company has faced scrutiny over for years.
Campaigners link this to broader issues including union-busting efforts and reported employee fatalities in warehouses. One such incident occurred last week in Oregon, where staff were allegedly instructed to continue working after a colleague's death.
The posters have been spotted widely in Brooklyn's Williamsburg and other neighbourhoods, including spots near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With the gala less than three weeks away on 4 May, the timing appears calculated to maximise impact before the celebrity-filled evening gets under way.
British Activists Fuel the Campaign
Behind the effort is Everyone Hates Elon, a UK-based political activism group previously known for stunts targeting other billionaires such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Prince Andrew. The group crowd-sourced funds quickly to cover printing and distribution costs and provided free downloadable designs to encourage wider participation.
An Instagram post from its verified account shared images of the posters appearing overnight across Manhattan, urging followers to comment 'GET HIM'.
A spokesperson for the group said: 'People are being murdered by ICE. Iran is being bombed. Democratic institutions are being dismantled. Yet Anna Wintour's Vogue and the Met Museum think it's OK to celebrate one of Trump's oligarchs.' The statement reflects the campaign's focus on Bezos's reported political ties and Amazon's role in supporting government operations.
Corporate Influence on the Met Gala Questioned
Bezos and Sánchez were named honorary co-chairs in February, joining Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour for the 4 May fundraiser, themed 'fashion is art'. The couple attended the 2024 gala together but missed 2025 for their wedding in Venice. The sponsorship has prompted questions about the event's ties to corporate power.
Previous years have seen protests outside the Met, including over the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2024 that resulted in arrests. Organisers of the current campaign say they want to expose what they see as an attempt by Bezos to polish his image through association with high culture.
As more posters continue to appear and the story spreads online, the anti-Bezos effort adds an unexpected layer of controversy to the 2026 Met Gala preparations. Whether it will influence the event remains unclear, but the posters have already succeeded in sparking debate about corporate influence on cultural events in the days leading up to it.
