Met Gala protesters leave over 100 ‘urine bottle’ inside Museum to protest Jeff Bezos: What's happening
An activist group left over hundreds of urine bottles at the Met Gala venue while protesting against Jeff Bezos and his wife. Protesters were seen across NY with boycott calls, posters and anti-Met runways.
MET taking the Piss
This year’s Met Gala’s lead sponsor, billionaire Jeff Bezos, has sparked widespread criticism. In protest, an activist group scattered bottles of urine printed with Bezos’s face throughout the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The group, “Everyone Hates Elon”, shared images on social media, claiming that the act highlights allegations that Amazon workers are forced to urinate in bottles. “The MET Museum is taking the PISS by having Jeff”, wrote the group while clarifying that it was just water and colouring.
Bezos’ house projected with messages
Protesters across New York have voiced anger over Jeff Bezos and his wife being the guests of honour. Boycott messages appeared across subway cars and building facades, including Jeff Bezos’ Madison Square penthouse. A video featuring a 72-year-old Amazon worker was projected onto his penthouse building along with messages, “If you can buy the Met Gala, you can pay more tax" and “no red carpet for Trump’s billionaires”.
Posters across New York
Posters calling for a boycott of the “Bezos Gala” read, “brought to you by worker exploitation” or “the firm that powers ICE”, with visuals of a tear gas container. Dissenters alleged that the Amazon founder avoids tax, enables ICE and backs Trump.
Anti-Met event
A counter-Met fashion show organised by labour unions titled “Ball Without Billionaires”. Instead of celebrities, the runway featured current and former workers from Amazon, The Washington Post, Starbucks and other companies. They were dressed by emerging, immigrant and BIPOC designers.
Met’s counter-theme
The theme was “Labour is Art”, a response to the Met’s 2026 theme, “Fashion is Art”, highlighting that the glamour of the fashion industry relies on workers' labour. Attendees carried slogans such as “You can’t buy cool” and clothes tagged “Made by immigrants”. The event was co-hosted by actress Lisa Ann Walter and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
Mamdani highlights industry workers
Along similar lines, Zohran Mamdani, New York’s socialist mayor, skipped the gala and chose to spotlight fashion workers. The mayor shared photo profiles of six industry workers on social media and wrote: “While the world’s eyes are on fashion’s biggest night, we’re turning ours to the garment, retail and warehouse workers who keep the industry running”.
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