A group of three protesters from the organization Just Stop Oil made a bold statement at Wimbledon on Wednesday, disrupting two first-round matches at the prestigious tennis tournament in London.
The climate activists caused interruptions on Court 18 during both incidents. In the first disruption, a man and a woman entered the court and showered it with orange confetti. In the second incident, another man stormed the court, spreading more orange confetti and scattering pieces from an official Wimbledon jigsaw puzzle on the grass.
Wimbledon security acted swiftly to apprehend the three protesters, who were later arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London.
Prior to the event, Just Stop Oil had announced their intentions to make a statement at Wimbledon, using the disruption to raise awareness about climate change and to protest against Barclays Bank, the sponsor of the tournament.
The group shared on Twitter, “Yesterday, Monday, [3] July, was the hottest day ever recorded on planet Earth. A record that lasted until… Tuesday, 4 July. Two heat records — two Wimbledon actions.”
The activists specifically targeted Barclays Bank for its association with fossil fuel funding. They pointed out the prominent display of the bank’s logo during the event, highlighting its controversial role in undermining climate efforts.
After a brief delay to clean up the confetti and debris, the matches resumed as scheduled.
This is not the first time Just Stop Oil has made headlines for their disruptive actions. Last October, they threw tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, “Sunflowers,” at the National Gallery in London, although no damage was done to the artwork.
The group’s activism extends beyond Wimbledon. They had previously disrupted the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England, in April, demanding an end to new oil and gas extraction in the U.K.
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