Just Stop Oil Protester at Wimbledon 2023
Court 18 action at Wimbledon 2023 was temporarily paused – here’s everything you need to know about Just Stop Oil intervention.
Authorities have arrested two Just Stop Oil activists for intruding on Court 18 during the encounter between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro. They threw orange confetti on the court which was hidden in a box containing a Wimbledon-themed puzzle and some jigsaw pieces. The alleged culprits were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and subsequently removed from the court.
This is the second incident in the last few days when the Just Stop Oil activists have interrupted a top sporting event. There were intruders on the pitch during the second Ashes test between England and Australia last week. The movement’s primary demand is that the British government should commit to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production. The group demands investment in renewable energy, and that buildings have better thermal insulation to avoid waste of energy.
Wimbledon has seen its fair share of social activists disrupting the event throughout its history. In the 1970s and 1980s, when South Africa was under apartheid rule, anti-apartheid activists targeted Wimbledon to raise awareness about the discriminatory policies of the South African government. They protested against the participation of South African players in the tournament and called for a boycott of the country. These protests often took the form of demonstrations outside the venue and attempts to disrupt matches.
Another notable protest occurred in 1996 when four Greenpeace activists interrupted the men’s singles final between Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington. They unfurled a banner criticizing the use of the pesticide “Polo” by the tournament’s sponsor, Polo Ralph Lauren. The activists were able to breach the security and enter the court, causing a temporary interruption before being escorted off.
In recent years, climate change activists have targeted Wimbledon to draw attention to the environmental impact of the tournament. In 2019, during the men’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, a group called Extinction Rebellion staged a protest. They stood up in the middle of the match, holding banners that demanded action on climate change. Security quickly removed them from the court. .
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