Two Just Stop Oil activists protested on the third day of Wimbledon 2023, suspending a match in the tennis championships.
The environmental group took credit for rushing onto the court during the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov and throwing orange confetti. Former teacher Deborah Wilde, 68, and Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, a retired musician, claim responsibility for the disruption, with the eco-coalition “demanding that the UK government halts all new licences and consents for oil, gas and coal” in a statement.
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Just stop oil sitting protest on court 18 as Grigor Dimitrov plays Sho Shimabukuro. Two protestors burst onto court with orange confetti. #WIMBLEDON pic.twitter.com/33ogjUhSre
— Qasa (@QasaAlom) July 5, 2023
Photos and video circulated on social media showing the pair throwing confetti and jigsaw pieces on the grass before security officers removed the protesters.
Grigor Dimitrov match interrupted by Just Stop Oil protests…#wimbledon pic.twitter.com/yc2qubxnx0
— Martin (@MartinxLFC) July 5, 2023
“In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren’t normal circumstances,” Wilde said. “This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.”
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The group claimed there have been 2,200 arrests and 138 people imprisoned since launching their campaign on Feb. 14, 2022.
“I’m here for my grandchildren and everybody else’s,” Milner-Edwards said. “I’m not prepared to let our politicians wreck everything and leave the next generation to pick up the pieces. The last thing I want to do is spoil people’s enjoyment of Wimbledon, but right now, on Centre Court, it’s humanity vs oil and gas — and the umpire is getting every call wrong.”