Credit: Twitter
After the second Ashes Test at the Lord's, Just Stop Oil protesters forced their way onto the Wimbledon grounds in an effort to obstruct yet another prominent sporting event. The incident happened during Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro's first-round match. At the beginning of the second set of the match, which had been postponed from Tuesday, two protesters entered the court and scattered orange confetti.
The second Ashes Test last week and the World Snooker Championship both saw powder being thrown, so at the very least, a repetition of that was expected. The protester, however, hurled orange confetti and what looked like puzzle pieces onto the court. Before it started to rain and the covers were hastily put on, ball boys and girls had begun to collect the debris. Security personnel led the protesters off the court right after the incident. According to reports, the orange confetti glitter and puzzle pieces were environmentally friendly.
Just Stop Oil's official social media handle posted a message on Twitter soon after the incident. The message read, "🎉 “Once more, orange clouds hang over a British sporting event this summer—this time it’s ticker tape rather than paint dust, but it is an intrusion and will need sorting out." The video of the play stoppage was also posted by the handle.
Watch the video here:
Andy Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion, said there was a good chance a protest would occur at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but he cautioned that it might be risky for those entering the courts. Murray said before the tournament got underway that, "I think there is probably a good chance of something happening. I didn't see what Jonny Bairstow did, but it could be dangerous. If they would attach themselves to the net or throw something onto the court - they have to be a bit careful going near to tennis players who obviously have got rackets in their hands."
Murray further appreciated the cause and said "I agree with the cause, just not always how they go about expressing it. Rather than running on the court, maybe they could do it a different way."
The next big event in England is the British Grand Prix, which is set to get underway on July 9 at the Silverstone Circuit. Security at the venue is expected to be increased after the Wimbledon incident.
