Days before the Met Gala, Metropolitan Museum of Art staff found hundreds of bottles containing what appeared to be urine placed around the building in a coordinated protest aimed at Jeff Bezos.
The activist collective Everyone Hates Elon claimed responsibility, saying the display was meant to draw attention to reported warehouse conditions where some workers have said long schedules left them no option but to urinate in bottles, according to the New York Times.
Bottles were arranged in several museum areas with provocative signage criticizing labor practices. One grouping was identified by protesters as a ‘VIP toilet’ dedicated to Bezos, who served as an honorary co-chair of this year’s gala alongside his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
Organizers said the action was intended to expose what they described as worker exploitation and to challenge the role billionaires play in high-profile cultural events. The stunt was part of a broader campaign that included posters, projected messages and calls to boycott certain New York City events in the run-up to the gala.
Projections aimed at Bezos appeared on landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, urging the public to avoid what the activists called billionaire-backed fashion theater.
The incident adds to ongoing scrutiny of Amazon’s labor practices. The company has previously acknowledged problems around restroom access for delivery workers, calling them industry-wide issues and saying it has taken steps to improve conditions.
Bezos’s prominent role at a major philanthropic fashion event heightened debate about the disparity between corporate wealth and worker welfare. Critics said the optics were poor and some in the fashion community privately expressed discomfort with the backlash.
Despite the controversy, preparations for the Met Gala continued and the event proceeded as scheduled, drawing celebrities, designers and industry leaders. The gala remains a key fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute.
