Two Just Stop Oil protesters interrupted a Wimbledon match on Wednesday by tossing orange-colored confetti and jigsaw pieces onto Court 18.
The protest unfolded during a first-round matchup between No. 21 seed Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro.
Protestors jumped onto court 18 & disrupted Dimitrov vs Shimabukuro at Wimbledon
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 5, 2023
They threw a jigsaw puzzle & confetti.
This is disappointing to say the least.
This isn’t activism. This is just odd.
pic.twitter.com/820YCZhmSv
Just Stop Oil is an environmental activist group that has been calling for the government to stop all new oil, gas, and coal projects throughout the United Kingdom. The group has protested at other sporting events, including an Ashes Test cricket series match.
"The supporters threw environmentally friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces onto the courts, before being removed," Just Stop Oil said in a statement. "Play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces."
Wimbledon officials announced that the two protesters were arrested "on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage," and were removed from the All-England Club. Play was initially paused due to the interruption, and was followed by a brief rain delay before Dimitrov and Shimabukuro returned to Court 18.
Prior to Wimbledon getting underway, Wimbledon organizers urged fans to "be considerate" when they were asked about possible climate change protests.
This isn't the first time that a Grand Slam tournament has been halted due to a protest. An environmental activist tied themselves to the net post during a 2022 French Open match between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic.
